Introduction
In the year 2518 humans have advanced their technology so far that they have expanded to a new part of the solar system. But civil wars have caused turmoil and strife among the people. The fighting has ended and through it has emerged an uneasy peace as The Alliance regains control. People still deal with the same moral and ethical problems as we always have, whether you were born rich or poor. While civilisation has taken a step forward in technology they seemed to have taken two steps back in the process. The terraformed planets are like western deserts and the towns like those from the 1800's. Life can be difficult, struggling for food and money, that is why a few try their hand at smuggling. It's successful when you know when to accept a job and when to say no. The Alliance is always watching and they know what happens in the darker side of the galaxy, so that's why you've always got to be thinking ahead.
Cruising through a rough neck of The 'Verse, the crew of Emersed have just successfully completed another job. They planned on just relaxing and maybe spending the well earned cash on something like a decent meal. The last thing they expected was to pick up a distress call by a lonely planet that they happened to pass by. The Captain usually didn't take pity calls but this one sounded different. These people were in real danger, plus they were offering to pay handsomely. Keen for the extra cash Emersed headed out. The town was basically deserted. As the Captain walked down the main street windows and door were shut and locked. The fear of strangers was obvious, but what caused these bunch to become suspicious in the first place? The crew didn't really know who they were looking for but it was from the Starlight Ranch that they saw a surprising sign. OPEN FOR BUSINESS. It was most promising, so they entered. They were greeted by a handful of women all pointing guns at them. When they explained that they had received the distress call the guns were lowered cautiously. A young woman stepped forward, obviously the leader of the brothel. She said that they were the ones that sent the signal and were greatful for their assistance. They told them that their town had been threatened by bandits, and not your ordinary kind but the ones who were so thick-headed that once they had raided everything the town had they still made a menace. The crew couldn't work out how their small numbers would help. But the girls said they had a plan. In the end their plan worked and they successfully chased the bandits off, leaving them stranded in a very lonely and very far away part of the planet. Satisfied that they had completed their job they accepted their pay and were about to depart when the young woman from before and her little friend approached them. They begged to be taken away from this hell hole and wouldn't cause any problems. The Captain was a bit reluctant at first but they made a very persuasive argument. Crossing the Alliance is something you most definitely do not want to do but when you find that your new passengers are more than what they say, it becomes a little difficult.
Captain - Taken by Adantas
First Mate - Taken by VitaminHeart
Mechanic - Taken by tallyrebel
Doctor - Taken by Dreamwaker
Pilot - Open
Mercenary - Taken by Free_Polity
Mercenary - Taken by Nyghtfang
Fugitive - Taken by I'm a Radical Dame
Fugitive - Open
- 5 posts here • Page 1 of 1
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 5 authors
It kind of peeved Jess off; not only being deceived but now having to find a new pilot. However, their little detour, while losing them a pilot, landed them with a new passenger. The girl had wanted to escape her life from the lonely planet and life as a courtesan. Jessie could understand the want for a new life and even though a bit reluctant at first, finally allowed the girl aboard. She was a relatively quiet girl but she had a sense of coolness around her that portrayed she had control of any situation. Jessie admired that, she needed a few people who had a calm head in stressful situations. That wasnβt saying that she didnβt have people who couldnβt deal with those kinds of situations it was just they tended to gung-ho into them.
She had been travelling with most of her crew for around 2-3 years and they had grown to know what to expect from each other. There flight was intended to take a few days before they reached more inhabitable planets, giving them ample time to learn a bit more about their mysterious passenger. While she had told them about growing up in the town she hadnβt exactly told them much about herself. Jessie just wanted to know whether the girl was trustworthy otherwise she would find herself on a desolate moon with rocks for company. Jessie had no qualms about taking the girl and helping her start a new life but that didnβt mean she was getting a free ticket. You had to earn your stay aboard The Emersed. That meant pitching in with helping whoever needed a hand.
When they took off and left the planetβs atmosphere Jessie took it as her duty to show August around the place, she didnβt hold much of a conversation, only giving small instructions on where everything was. Finally she ended with the spare room which had been their pilots but since he was no longer employed that right was void. When they had left him there they had dumped most of his stuff with him, so the room was bare save for some sheets and a pillow on the bed. Thatβs where Jessie had left her last and so for the last couple of hours each member had gone and done their separate thing. Jessie herself and retreated to her room. It was filled with an assortment of materials hanging from the ceiling and creating a sort of Middle Eastern haven. She had a few βtrophiesβ from past events and jobs, the tradition Chinese sword was hanging on the wall along with some other bits and pieces. Her desk was covered it scraps of paper some filled with cursive ink writing some with splotches and others just blank. She had a tall wardrobe in the corner that held the rest of her clothes, which wasnβt much, as well as a dozen thick, 30cm tall white candles. She would only use four at a time, burning them till they could give no more before using another four.
Taking them out of their spot in the wardrobe she carefully placed them at four points around her. She took her spot in the middle and began her ritual of crossing her legs and lighting each candle. Once completed she removed her necklace and held it tightly to her chest, closing her eyes and picturing Michael. Now was the time she reflected on the day and pictured all her actions that she committed. As if touring Michael through her thoughts and determining what she had done was right. Usually this process would take roughly an hour depending what had happened. When she finished she would say farewell and open her eyes. Then she would blow the candles out one by one and pack them away.
She glanced at the digital clock at her bedside table and realised it was time she started preparing dinner for the crew. She was about to leave but something caught her eye. It was her reflection in the vanity mirror. She rarely ever looked in the mirror but every once in a while she caught a glimpse of herself. She was looking far better then what she had when she first boarded The Emersed, she had filled out with some muscle and her complexion was much healthier and brighter. Her mass of black curls were as frizzy as always and while it was thick and lush again there was nothing she could do to improve it. A slight smile crept upon her face as she thought of how Michael would be proud that she was treating herself right again. With that she left her room and headed to the dining area.
It was sort of like a small mess hall with a table in the middle and a series of benches surrounding it and a stove, pantry, fridge and sink on the other side. The kitchen was empty and that gave Jessie time to focus on her task of prepping the food. Cooking for seven people, especially since two of them were bottomless pits, meant she had to have a decent amount prepared. Thankfully, when they stopped over they were able to replenish their rations and even score some fresh produce. Jessie felt that they deserved a nice meal so she began slicing up some tomatoes and got to work frying them up. It took her a little over an hour to get everything sorted but by the time she was done the kitchen was filled with homely aromas of delicious fresh food. She arranged it so that it was set up like a buffet and everyone could take what they pleased, the plates placed beside for convenience. Next she set up the table with some cutlery and glasses, a large jug of water and some bottles of alcohol scatter around. The task was soothing and when she was done she went over to the intercom and pushed the button so that everyone no matter where they were would hear her.
βDinners up. Come and get it!β
She took her seat as she waited for everyone to file into the dining room.
She'd say little as she was given a brief tour of the ship - which ended in the room she'd get to claim as her own.
After a quick "thanks", her door was gently closed.
"From Madame to ship-bum......i can't tell if that's an upgrade, or a downgrade." she'd mutter to herself, before throwing her tall greenish duffel bag down on the full size mattress.
August wouldn't sit beside it however, an instead she walked over to a tall dresser and stared into the round mirror above it.
She looked like a mess. Ever since the bandits had taken over the the town, she hadn't changed clothes, and it had been days since she last washed herself.
"You look like shit." she whispered to her reflection with a small smirk, before kicking off her brown rolled-down combat boots, stripping out of her current attire, and then making her way into the small bathroom a few steps from the dresser.
During the few minutes it took for the tub to fill up with water, August un-braided the long braid which fell down her back, revealing a long, thick, wavy mess - that hit a few inches below the end of her bare back.
The last thing she'd remove would be her necklace, which she placed on the back of the toilet before turning off the water, and then stepping into it.
She'd sigh out of comfort as she slid into the hot water, however she'd grunt from annoyance when her feet hit the opposite end of the tub.
For a woman, August was tall, standing about a half-inch over 5'10 when completely barefoot, but seeing as how her feet had reached the other end of the tub before her chest was even covered by the water, it was more so the tub being tiny, than her being tall, that caused her to feet to touch the other side so quickly.
However, after she kicked her legs up an over the side of the copper clawfoot, she was able to submerge herself......until the water stopped only a couple of centimeters from the base of her nose.
Closing her eyes caused her to drift off into a rather vivid daydream of her last visit to the beach, at age 11. The memories were pleasant, until they were gone.....
August slowly opened her eyes and peered at her legs for moment, before sitting up, pulling a wash cloth off a nearby towel rack, and then using it to wash herself.
After several minutes static crackled out from the the intercom above her head, and then a familiar voice rang out with;
"Dinners up. Come and get it!"
"Food!?" August perked up with, as she stared up at the round speaker. "Fantastic!!"
Within seconds she had unplugged the stopper, grabbed a towel, and hopped out of the bathtub.
On an average day she could eat more than any man, no matter his size........and then some. However today was no average day, August hadn't eaten a good meal in over 48 hours, and she was starving.
"Ah, i need clothing!" she said.....trekking water throughout her room as she made her way over to her bed and dumped out her bag.
"Gees" she'd muttered as she stood up straight - furiously drying her hair with the towel. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe....
Clothing was never something August put much thought into. She'd frequently wear things that were either too revealing or too unappealing, and be none the wiser to the stares of approval and/or disapproval she was getting. The girls at the bar use to think she dressed so carelessly improper on purpose...but they quickly learned she simply didn't care, and unless it was some rare occasion, she was likely to show up in anything.
"Ugh, i guess your it" she whispered, before throwing the towel down on the bed.
In under a minute she'd dress herself in a long grey drape tank-top, that reached mid-thigh. She had bras, but simply chose not to wear one since she was in a rush.
She'd place her hair up in a damp messy bun, and then retrieve her necklace from atop the toilet. After it was clasped on, her boots would be slipped into, before she opened her door, and made her way towards the Kitchen.
The food was set up like a buffet, and lucky for August, she was the first to arrive.
"Nice" she whispered, before grabbing a plate and piling one thing after another on to it.
By the time she was done, you could barely see the actual plate underneath the huge mountain of food.
As she sat down at the nearby table, she suddenly realized how obnoxious her plate most of looked. So she turned her head over towards Jessie, and a barely noticeable smile formed on her face. "Um thanks, for the food. I'll do the dishes afterwards.....all of them." she said, before stuffing her face.
It was the least she could do after be welcomed on the Jessies ship, and then putting so much food on her plate.
As a reflex his right hand moved to scratch at a momentary itch around his fake eye, but at the last moment he gently rubbed the eye patch with three short, well rehearsed strokes for luck. The book lowered gently onto the table and he reached into the drawer. While swinging both legs out over the floor he grasped the revolver and pushed his feet slowly into his boots. Pulling the revolver clear of the drawer, he opened and spun the cylinders with his right hand while he pulled six bullets free from a vest pocket with the left and popped them into the cylinders as they rotated by, one by one. Straightening, the revolver cylinders clicked into place and he sighted down it as it leveled on the door, B spun the gun around his finger in a horizontal and vertical circle before securing it in the holster on his right hip. The shoelaces started sliding through the holes in his boots as he pulled them taut and tied them off.
Dinner looks about ready. Hopefully there is some fruit other than tomatoes this time.
B marched towards the door to his cabin, stabbing the cigar butt into an overflowing ashtray near the door, and flipped a wall switch disengaging the airflow fan above his bed. The fan released a deep *chunk-a-chunk* sound, followed by a sputtering *cough*, a final desperate chug to inhale what it could. Smoke billowed in large folds out the door as it opened and spilled into the hallway. B grabbed his black hat off the wall and rolled it down his arm before flipping it onto his head from the elbow as he emerged through the smoke.
The hallway was metal paneling, conduit, some piping, and more metal in the form of reinforcement struts spanning the ceiling and bulkheads. Uniform and sterile for the most part, but a few wires that never quite got back inside where they belonged poked out colorfully from behind panels and every few struts had some sort of unique scorch or welding mark. Customizations dotted the walls as well, extra displays, manual release valves, some fire extinguishers and a few false backed smuggling panels. His fake eye noticed all the details of the ship. At some point that list of details drifted into memory and he was lost to thought. Each imperfection, redesign, and repair job conjured a memory, told a story of some scrap the crew of the Emersed had lived through over the last few years. The story of who they were and what they stood for, what they did every day.
Keep working to keep flying.
For him the Emersed was more than a ship and crew. It was an idea worth defending, fighting for and dying for if necessary. Something the Alliance couldnβt take. But more than that, perhaps something worth living for.
Careful now. Those kinds of thoughts will end up dulling your edge...
The intercom squawked, jarring B into focus:
Dinnerβs up. Come and get it!
B preferred to arrive at the table a little earlier than the rest of the crew if possible. He enjoyed sitting with the Captain in silent reflection for a few moments before the onslaught of the meal. Even a good crew that gets along well has its ups and downs. When everyone works more often than not until the work is done, unresolved issues spill over into the food. While B had no problems with the Captain deciding to leave the pilot behind, and he certainly deserved it given the circumstances, not everyone might see it that way.
We work well enough together to get the job done, but certainly donβt know one anotherβs minds. And then thereβs the new passengerβ¦a complete stranger.
With infrared he entered the kitchen already slightly disappointed there would be no silent time with the Captain. But he tipped his hat to the new passenger nonetheless and remarked, "Ms." *nodding* in passing, as he rounded the corner through the door frame without looking over. She had already gotten food and was seated at the table, barely visible behind her own personal food mountain. He moved towards the counter with the buffet. As he approached the plates he turned towards the Captain and said, βCaptain.*nodding* Please and thank youβ, and started loading a plate. As he moved through the buffet selecting some meat, vegetables and bread he paused at the fried tomatoes. The right side of his mouth curled ever so slightly but he removed three slices and put them on his plate.
Figures. Better stick closer to the Captain the next time she buys fruitβ¦
Carrying his plate over towards the two already seated he placed it and some utensils down on the table as he took a seat to the Captainβs left. He stared down at the food for a moment, soaking in the smells with his nose and a varied array of colors with both eyes. As B looked up attempting to gauge any dangerous intent emanating from the newcomer he was startled to notice that she was wearing little more than a longish half-shirt and had already inhaled half of food mountain.
This one looks like a handful of trouble...
"Dinners up. Come and get it!" chimed the Captain over the intercom. That was the moment that she threw a loose fitting pair of slacks and a blouse over her lithe form, then climbed out of her hole-in-the-wall room. Literally.
As she walked down the paragon corridors of the ship towards the kitchen area, she did not think about what happened to the pilot. Over the last three years, she knew that Chambers did not take crap from anyone. It wouldn't be a far-fetched truth to say that the pilot double-crossed her. That person was strange and off from the very start.
Closing in on the dining/kitchen space, she waved with a small smile, "Zdravo, guys." Her place was taken next to B, a man who has been with them for a while. Truth be told, Vibeke had no idea what it was that he did. Most people didn't talk about their history. It was a good idea to keep those things to yourself, you know. When push comes to shove, the reality was simple; someone always caved into the temptation of money. The Alliance offered good bounty for someone that they wanted. Great money, even. Half the time they didn't even keep their word.
Next, those honeyed hues flitted over to August, the newest passenger on Emersed. The doctor did not trust anyone anymore. Not after what she was put through. Especially not after the former Pilot was left stranded on a rugged planet by himself. As laughable as that was, and insane. Watching the girl pile food onto her plate, Vibeke would go as far as to figure that she probably hadn't eaten in days. She tossed B that expression that stated, who in the world is this?, before helping herself to some food.
That was, if August wasn't going to stuff herself like a fat cow.
Settling comfortably within her chair, resting her back against its sturdy spine, she forked some of the plate's contents into her mouth. Of all the places to be feminine and pristine, this was not one of them. Emersed was made up of women who were anything but womanly in attitude and demeanor. Even with men present, there was no reason to be lady like. They understood, anyway. This was what it was like to live on the constant edge; danger everywhere they land, traveling to craggy planes, and dealing with the threat of the Alliance.
Thankfully, the only thing that they hadn't had the displeasure of dealing with was Reavers. These people, well they were people once, were complete monsters. Cannibals, rapists, and murderers, they set their ships flying across the spacial territory looking for their next meal. The tale states that these were human who traveled too far off the edge of the 'verse, but really, they were victims of a terrible Alliance experiment. However, anyone could become a Reaver if they were driven insane enough.
A visible shiver wracked her spine and shoulders at the thought. It wasn't sane to think of them. It just wasn't... to have them always on your mind like the doctor did.
Changing the course of her mind, she glanced over at Jessie, "So, where we go now?" It was obvious that her grasp of the English language was very rough, and her Slovakian tongue a little harsh. Couple with the knowledge of Chinese, she had a very hard time with language. Regardless, the overall tenure of her voice was soft and feathery, not low and brash.
Setting
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She had a fairly small room, nothing particularly impressive...mainly as she'd turned up without many things to put in it, and had never shown a lot of inclination to acquire anything else. There was a bed, a desk which was mostly covered in assorted bits of paper and technology, and a chest of drawers with clothing spread haphazardly around the inside. It was certainly far removed from her rather privileged roots....in size and status anyway...not necessarily in other areas.
That was to say a 'rich' person on the outer planets had probably a lower average living standards than a 'poor' citizen on the core...at least in terms of amenities. The Neverwinters had been the kings of the hill, so to speak, but they had been on one of the most lonely and desolate places in the system. They'd still relied on log fires and houses made from stone and timber. They'd still ended up with a garden full of snow, sled dogs, and reindeer....so privilege was something of a sliding scale when it came to the outer planets.
As a result, Kora hadn't really struggled to adjust too much to life on the Emersed....but one thing that did seem to always get to her was the lack of space. Sharing the comparatively small area of the ship with all the others was a considerable source of contention for all concerned, and Kora was more certainly no exception. She'd come from a place where the wilderness stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions and you could wander for days and not see another living soul....to somewhere where she was struggling to stake a claim for her own toothbrush.
She'd gotten used to it though. The fact was it was surprising how quick it was to adapt when you weren't really offered much of an alternative. She couldn't return to what she'd once had, after all. She could go back and join the rest of her family in bending over and letting the alliance take them roughly from behind...the option was probably still there...but really that was never going to happen. She had learned to cope with trying to protect her toothbrush, fighting over the showers and engaging in the most bitter and drawn out disputes over who had eaten her peanut cookies...but she could never learn to cope with losing her pride...
The call over the intercom pulled Kora out of her reverie and she swung her legs over the side of the bed, stumbling onto her feet and attempting not to slam her head into the low-slung pipe that seemed to have become her nemesis in the past three years, endeavouring to give her a concussion at every opportunity.
The young woman, dressed in her typically casual fashion, stepped out of her room half-heartedly attempting to pull her hair straight with her fingers. She wasn't especially hungry, but by then she knew that if she didn't go right now, she was not going to be eating anything later. Besides, promising free food was the easiest way to get the entire crew in one room simultaneously, so it was often a time when important announcements were made.
A few moments later, the red-haired first mate stepped into the room to find most of the others already assembled, and grabbed her bowl and chopsticks from the draining board before going over to join them, pushing her way onto one of the benches. Like much of the folks in the system, Kora's family and peers had had a distinct oriental influence to their culture. She'd been eating with chopsticks since a little after she could talk, and they tended to be her default mode of eating. It was a rather amusing testament to the mix and match culture of the system that someone should be eating their food using a set of chopsticks made from reindeer horn.
Kora quickly snatched up what she wanted, before leaning back in her seat, balancing her bowl in one hand. Only when she was certain that she'd managed to save a decent amount of food from the clutches of her crewmates did she endeavour to speak up.
"How's it going everybody? There's something mechanical rattling somewhere above my ceiling so....it's either going to keep me awake or kill us all...just thought I'd put that out there."
- 5 posts here • Page 1 of 1
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View All » Add Character » 8 Characters to follow in this universe
Newest
Milo Van Zam
"What's on the agenda today? Jumping off a building or getting drunk?"
Kora Neverwinter
"Everyone's got their reasons."
B
"I'm your Huckleberry..."
Jessie Chambers
Just because I don't respond, doesn't mean I don't listen
August Qwinn
The daughter of intergalactic fugitives.....who has had her parents reason for being wanted, passed down to her.
Trending
Jessie Chambers
Just because I don't respond, doesn't mean I don't listen
Kora Neverwinter
"Everyone's got their reasons."
B
"I'm your Huckleberry..."
August Qwinn
The daughter of intergalactic fugitives.....who has had her parents reason for being wanted, passed down to her.
Milo Van Zam
"What's on the agenda today? Jumping off a building or getting drunk?"
Most Followed
Kora Neverwinter
"Everyone's got their reasons."
B
"I'm your Huckleberry..."
Jessie Chambers
Just because I don't respond, doesn't mean I don't listen
Milo Van Zam
"What's on the agenda today? Jumping off a building or getting drunk?"
August Qwinn
The daughter of intergalactic fugitives.....who has had her parents reason for being wanted, passed down to her.
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