'A Better Title.' Part 2
POSTED BY: ebonezer
UPDATED: Thursday, May 12, 2005 14:20
VIEWED: 17383
PAGE 4 of 6
OC: Y'know, for a second, I read 'shipping spiders' as 'worshipping spiders'. 
--------------------------------------------------
IC:
Mantichorus looked around. "Ever hear of a film from Earth-That-Was called Arachnophobia?" Soul gave him a blank look, while Ebo just glared at him. "Right, sorry."
"Manti, just hurry up so's we can get out of here." Ebo whimpered from on top of her box.
Manti and Soul searched the room, when...
"How stupid are we?" Soul suddenly asked.
"How'd you mean?" Mantichorus asked, uncomprehending.
Soul turned to Ebo. "Look. Box."
"Ah. Right." Mantichorus nodded.
"No way in all of Hell are you gonna get me off of this box." Ebo scowled at the two men. Soul and Mantichorus glanced at each other.
"Sounds like a bet to me." Mantichorus shrugged.
--------------------------------------------------
SAFFRON: "Durran... This isn't what it looks like..."
MAL: "Unless it looks like we're stealing your priceless Lassiter, 'cause that's what we're doing. Don't ask me about the gun, though, 'cause that's new."
DURRAN: "Well. I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a lot, but --"
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
OOC: I've only got 2 seconds. I'll post later. I'm just trying to keep this from dissapearing into the archives.
______________________
But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Soul thought for a moment. How to get Ebo off of the box...
The solution came to him in the form of one of the larger spiders dropping from the celing and onto Ebo's head. The pilot screamed, falling off of the box as she scrambled for the door.
The box, however, in Ebo's frantic dash to escape the spiders, was pushed along the floor until it collided with the far wall. The lid to the box snapped in half at the sudden impact, and clattered to the floor.
"Well, that was easy," Manti remarked.
Soul nodded in agreement as the two of them made their way over to the box. Ebo could still be heard screaming outside the door.
"This better be worth it," Soul said as he pulled out a small flashlight and shone it into the box-
-And screamed at the face that stared back up at him.
____________________________
OOC: Dun dun dun... I don't quite have an idea of where to go with this, so anyone can have fun with this if you want.
______________________
But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
While waiting in the airlock for the rest of the crew Jazaf heard a scream, He froze. Not even a second had passed when he heard yet another scream.
'Hwai' He thought to himself. 'I hope they didn't find the Gorram...' He couldn't finish the thought.
Once he entered the room he heard the screams coming from he cursed aloud.
"Ai ya duh liou mahng! Not now! not yet!" Jazaf rushed forward and put the head back into the box and shut it as best he could.
"What in the nine gorram hells was that!" Manti shouted.
"Something not meant for your eyes." Jazaf said with his back turned.
"So this ship is familiar to you then?" Soul questioned, recovering from the shock.
Jazaf didn't answer. He just stood there.
"Ta ma duh! Why did you guys just let the spider attack me!! I could've.." Manti waved his hand to silence Ebo.
Manti placed a hand on Jazaf's shoulder and spun him on his heels. Looking at Jazaf dead in the eye Manti said, "Now you are gonna tell us who is in the rutting box and how you became familiar with the layout of this ship."
The color drained from Jazaf's face. It was clear that Manti's presence disturbed him more than the secrets he had been hiding."Ok, I'll tell you"
"I killed the man in the box a few months back."
"Where's the rest of him?" Soul prodded
"I.... sent the body to a rising gangster, to get him off my back. It was supposed to prove that I don't just talk a lot, that I can back up my words with action."
"A new gangster? Someone like Jerry"
"No. No one like that. This guy... he makes Jerry seem like a two-bit con man. This guy pushes a lot more than just contraband and word is he's into some guy named Sun-Tzu."
"So what's his name?"
Looking down to the floor jazaf says, "Adelai Niska."
---------
OOC: Hope I spelled the name right. 
had this on the back burner for a while now.
---------------------------------------
Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with till you
understand who's in rutting command here.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"Spiders attacked me and I was standing on a rutten dead guy. This day just gets better and better," Ebo mumbled, "And to top it off, we toss Niska into the mix. Someone remind me why I got out of bed this morning..."
"Wait, back up," Soul said, holding up a hand, "Adelai Who-ska?"
"Niska. Who in the 'verse hasn't heard of him?"
Soul raised his hand. Manti's folled a few seconds later.
Ebo gave them a look, "I would have thought that you of all people would...huh. Hey, this is cool. I know something you don't know." She grinned, "I think I got out of bed for this moment."
"Who is he?" Manti asked.
"Shhh, I need to savor this." Manti gave her a dark look, "Right, consider the moment savored! Niska is sort of a newbie to the mob scene. Early 20s, I think. Anyway, he'd been skating through life, leaving a trail of dead bodies wherever he went-"
"Out in the rim thats nothing specail," Soul inturuped.
"He killed David Walker." Ebo barely noted the surprise registuring behind the two mercs. cloesly guarded expressions.
Jazaf picked up the story, "Upon killing the biggest, baddest mob wolf, Niska sort of became him. Took over his empire, you might say."
"Word on the street is that he's more brutal than Walker ever was," Ebo added.
"I find that hard to beleve," Soul said.
"Believe it," Jazaf said darkly, "I've met him. Looked in his eyes. There's nothing in there. Nothing human. Nothing with any kind of soul. Creepy doesn't even begin to discribe it."
Ebo scratched her head, "So why didn't you send him the head too?"
-----------------------------------
Four out of five gynecologists recommend calling Ebo a girl.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"Well, Niska's not the only mob boss whose starting to make his way in the 'verse. Thought it might be wise to keep a back-up in case." Jazaf said, looking at the assembled members of Sidere around him.
"Think we better tell Teela and Glico 'bout this? Yeah." Ebo grinned slightly nervously as a spider started to crawl towards her, and bolted out the door. Jazaf followed, and as Soul was about to leave, Mantichorus laid a hand on his shoulder.
"How 'bout we try that mask we spoke of earlier, and see what your ex-employers know about Niska?" Mantichorus asked, with an eyebrow raised. Before Soul could answer, Mantichorus brought his foot down hard on one of the larger spiders, creating a satisfing squish!-sound.
--------------------------------------------------
SAFFRON: "Durran... This isn't what it looks like..."
MAL: "Unless it looks like we're stealing your priceless Lassiter, 'cause that's what we're doing. Don't ask me about the gun, though, 'cause that's new."
DURRAN: "Well. I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a lot, but --"
--------------------------------------------------
The Doctor: "I loathe bus stations. Terrible places. Full of lost luggage and lost souls."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
Back on Sidere, Soul sat on the table in the medbay while Manti fiddled with a small handheld computer.
"So what exactly is that thing?" Soul asked.
Manti grinned. "It's an interface of a sort, just not as sophisticated as the one in your head. I should be able to use this to change the 'signature' that your interface uses when it logs onto the Cortex."
Soul nodded, both appreciative and impressed. "Seems like you've picked up a few useful skills since you were released from...well, wherever they had you when they weree messin' with your brain."
Manti grimmaced, and Soul realized that his last comment could have been phrased without mentioning the past that Manti apparently wanted to forget.
"Sorry," Soul said. "Shouldn't have mentioned that."
Manti shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said. Then he grinned. "Besides, it does have it's advantages. I did get that warning about Ritchie."
Soul grinned back. "Well, let's get started then."
"Lay back," Manti said.
Soul looked at him quizically.
Manti sighed. "This might knock you out, and I really don't feel like picking your heavy ass up off of the floor."
Soul chuckled. "You're the boss."
"Actually, I'm the boss," Teela said as she came into the room, "And I'd love to know just what in the diyu I'm missing out on here."
Soul looked at Manti and the two of them filled Teela in on everything that had happened. When they finished, Teela simply shook her head.
"Niska," she mumbled. Then she turned and headed out the door. "I've gotta find Ebo. That girl has a tendency to fly us into all sorts of trouble."
After the Captain left, Manti turned back to Soul and raised the device to the side of Soul's head.
"Now this might sting a little..."
______________________
But if your hand touches metal, I swear by my pretty floral bonnet, I will end you.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"Now this might sting a little..." Mantichorus said, as Soul lay back on the operating table. Soul tensed. "On the count of three..." Soul relaxed. "One--" Mantichorus activated the procedure.
"Yow!" Soul yelped, and fell unconscious.
Mantichorus exhaled slowly. He had to be careful - one wrong move could give Soul brain damage. He prayed that there would be no distractions - other members of the crew, pre-cog flashes, or anything. Several tense minutes passed. After about half an hour, Mantichorus picked up a hypo, and injected Soul.
Soul came to almost instantly. "Whuh? Why'd you go on 'One'?" He asked groggily.
"You'd have started to tense on 'Two' and be fully tense on 'Three'. More likely to do yourself some damage like that." Mantichorus explained. "Right - I haven't been able to mask your signal. The tech was too advanced for me at the moment. But I have managed to reroute it several times before it gets to you. You'll experience a few seconds lag, but it'll be practically impossible to trace."
--------------------------------------------------
SAFFRON: "Durran... This isn't what it looks like..."
MAL: "Unless it looks like we're stealing your priceless Lassiter, 'cause that's what we're doing. Don't ask me about the gun, though, 'cause that's new."
DURRAN: "Well. I appreciate your honesty. Not, you know, a lot, but --"
--------------------------------------------------
The Doctor: "I loathe bus stations. Terrible places. Full of lost luggage and lost souls."
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
"I'm gonna go find Ebo," Teela said, "Girl has a way of flying us into all sorts of trouble," she clomped out of the kitchen and towards the bridge.
Teela clomped around for a long time before she found Ebo, asleep, in the lounge.
Teela clapped her hands and yelled, "Spider!"
Ebo snorted awake, "Is it Kwanzaa?" she mumbled.
"Where are we going?" Teela asked.
"Huh?"
"The ship. And those on it. What exciting new lands are we heading off too?"
"Oh. Um. I can't remember. We're on course though. Boldly going off to lands where we have to deliver parrot-guy's goods."
"You sure?"
"Yes...No...I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"
"Maybe you should go back to sleep."
"If you insist."
-----------------------------------
Four out of five gynecologists recommend calling Ebo a girl.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME
So, this is the real you....
"Gorramit!" Jazaf whispers through clenched teeth. Still shaken from seeing the head of the man he killed.
Jazaf's held is head in his hands. 'What was his name?!' He could barely remember, all he knew was that man was sent from Niska.
He remembered that when he heard Niska's name a chill ran down his spine and he killed the messenger as swiftly as he could manage.
He cut off the head, packaged the body, bribed the mail officials and sent his 'present' to Niska with a note saying: You don't have to put mer in a near-death situation to meet the real me.
Subconsciously, his right hand touches his stomach and traces a five inch scar that trails along his upper torso.
Suddenly he was back in Niska's Hideout strapped down to an examinating table. Crying his eyes out and telling Niska everything he knows.
Niska looks down disapprovingly and says "So, this is the real you, what a shame. You talk so much yet you cannot back up what you say."
Niska walks around the table, a knife in his hand and continues, "I thought there would be more to you" and with that inserts the knife.
A soundless scream erupts from Jazaf's lips. He looks around and realizes that he is still on the Sidere. He quickly reaches into his bag and grabs some pills, pills meant for nullifying any and all pain.
As Jazaf succombs to his medication one thing skips through his brain, the name of the man, the head in the box, Neal Statkins.
---------------------------------------
Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I go get and beat you with till you
understand who's in rutting command here.
NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | PERMALINK | TOP | HOME