The Sereni-Tree, an evil doll, and a showdown on Boros
POSTED BY: TheRealMe
UPDATED: Saturday, February 11, 2006 06:02
VIEWED: 27878
PAGE 21 of 22
Quote:
Originally posted by seryn:
'This situation on Boros, I don't know these guys, but they have very little time, certainly not time for us to complete our... mission. Possibly not even time enough for the Tree to reach them. We need to test this version of the Cloud, she will fly, I know that, but we need to know that she'll hold up in a fight.'
*punches the button on her comm*
'TRM? We need a portal, one big enough for the Cloud, close to your guys as you can get, do you think thats possible?'
“Well, no, Seryn. I can’t make dimensional portals much larger than the height of a person. However, Rat has developed some shrinking technology that can get a shuttle small enough to go through. The problem is, I think, that we don’t have a vehicle equipped with BOTH shrinking and cloaking technology. Also, I’m afraid that I over-extended myself back during Mai-Quest2. I really can’t make portals of much size just now. I need to rest. Or space-time around me needs to relax and flatten out again. Or something."
"I suppose I could possibly send a few individuals to Boros, dropping them to within feet of one of the Brides. I suppose I know Bride7 better, so she would be easier to find…”
“Anyway, I’m afraid that the folks on Boros are on their own for the time being. Now, I COULD adjust the Sereni-Tree’s course to head directly to Boros, but I’m not sure we want to come in on the same vector that the General Grant used.”
TheRealMe reaches out his hand and concentrates mightily. A small dot of light appears, but soon fizzles out.
"I'm having trouble making portals of any size just now."
"Why don't you have your test flight, and then we'll decide whether or not we want to go on to the mining colony to make a real Cloud or straight to Boros."
TheRealMe, First Officer of the Sereni-Tree
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Quote:
Originally posted by ScorpionRegent:
In spite of their clandestine location the brides fail to go unoticed by SR. He notes the reflection off the lenses of the sunglasses. "Loose the shades sister a good observer will spot the flash and well lose any chance of slipping away unnoticed. I know you want to die young and leave a beautiful corpse, but you're not going to kill me doing it."
Startled, Bride6 smiles with glee, now that she knows SR thinks she is YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL!!!
Quote:
Bride6 reaches up, pulls the sunglasses down her nose a bit, and peeks over them for a closer look. “Ooooh! A diamond the size of a testicle!”
Bride6 then heeds SR's warning and drops the glasses in her pack. Instead, she puts on some dark shades!
Quote:
"Who do you know that has testicles the size of grapefruit?"
Bride6 smiles sheepishly. "Well... There was this one guy..."
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Quote:
Originally posted by TheRealMe:
[BbTheRealMe pulls out his com-link. “Sparky, go to the kitchen, fetch a double helping of warmed-up lasagna, and bring it to the Infirmary.”
TheRealMe arrives in the Infirmary moments after Ath.
TheRealMe, First Officer of the Sereni-Tree
*KellyofLuthien enters the kitchen to see Sparky already at work on the lasagna. Within a few minutes, they have finished the meal. Kelly sends Sparky with veggie lasagne, garlic bread, and rootbeer to the infirmary.
Looking around, Kelly sighs.
"It's been a long day."
Kelly grabs a plate of lasagna for herself and Piffle, a carrot for Shadowfax, and heads back to her mallorn tree.*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I love my Captain
Check out my Big Damn FF Icons at http://www.livejournal.com/community/bigdamnfficons/
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*Hears a familiar voice in the dream. LMD? hello? I'm over here! You're looking right at me!*
*Wakens slowly, shaking off the dream. Then spies Cozen standing in the midst of a large pile of women's clothing*
"Ugh, what happened? Where am I?
Did I miss another gala pageant?"
Mai, Secretary of Unmentionables.
http://iammai2.livejournal.com
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oooo, gala pageant....that was fun!
====
*after finding the note left by PR, twg runs pell-mell throughout the ship. She runs into the hanger...nope, everyone there...she runs up to the bridge...nuthin...the bar...the commons...the kitchen...the barn...she's getting desperate...*
PR, so help me...if you went...*she begins to open every door on the crew levels...she sees Cozen standing in a pile of dresses, as if he tried them all on...* Oops, sorry, next time I'll knock. Um, haven't seen my boy have you?
*Cozen shakes his head and twg continues her search. She comes upon the infirmary to find a meeting starting*
Hey, great! So, what are we going to do about PR being missing? *blank stares from TRM, Ath, CMS, and Soul* My son, you know, the tall guy with the knitting needles? He's gone, left a note...* they look at her like she's mad. She can read all of them, "How could someone leave the ship without TRM's help or a shuttle, really twg"* Wait, where's Simon?
*before they can answer she's off and running once more. She sees him checking the bluebox and tucking a little wand like thing into his pocket*
Simon! *he turns and sees the harried look in her eyes and immediately knows what's wrong*
SW: He's gone, isn't he?
twg: We need to find him. Help me look. I can't find him. I don't know what to do. He's supposed to be here with us. Where is he?
*twg slumps to the floor. She lets out a long breath and a single tear falls down her cheek. Simon kneels before her, wiping away the tear with the pad of his thumb*
SW: He's fine. Any child of ours can handle himself. Look at us. We're smart, resourceful, and we both look good in a slinky dress. *twg half laughs*
twg: I hope he didn't inherit my knack for getting into messes.
SW: You also have a knack for getting out of them. *he scoots next to her and drapes his arm around her, pulling her close. Her head rests upon his shoulder* We'll just wait here for him. I bet he'll be back before dinner. *he winks and she smiles. They sit there in silence…breathing, waiting, and hoping everything is okay*
www.thatweirdgirl.com
---
"...turn right at the corner then skip two blocks...no, SKIP, the hopping-like thing kids do...Why? Why not?"
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"You best let me know who your people are so's I don't ventilate one of them as a result of a misunderstanding."
That's Safe and Jack, Bride6 and Bride7." Citizen said indicating the different members of the party as the Stranger made for the front entrance. "and we're not going that way." He called after him.
The man stopped turned and looked at him. "Theres no servicable back entrances to this building." He said simply. Citizen smilled, this stranger had really done his homework.
"There's more'n one way outta government building friend." He said. "Though I wouldn't mind knowing your name first."
More insane ramblings by the people who brought you beeeer milkshakes!
The statistics on sanity are that one out of every four persons is suffering from some sort of mental illness. Think of your three best friends -- if they're okay, then it's you.
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*Ath, TRM, Soul and CMS gather in the infirmary.*
*Serenity takes a few bites of lasagne and a swig of rootbeer before she begins.*
Mmm..that's good.
Okay, I have something important to tell all of you and I'm sorry that I've waited until now to tell you. I'm afraid I've put the TREE and all of us here in great danger.
I'm pretty sure that robot was sent to try to kill me.
*takes a deep breath*.
Let me start at the beginning. As you already know, I have a gift for making things grow. So, I decided, against the wishes of my parents and most people I knew, to go to the Horticultural college on Greenleaf. It's the best in the 'verse, you know.
Well, while there, I met some people who were part of this anti-alliance underground movement. I know the war for Independence is over and the Alliance won and all that, but when you're spending semesters at a time working with people dumped on rim rocks with the most basic supplies and trying to help them etch out a living in the soil, well, you start to resent the Alliance's interference.
Once I graduated and began working with TerraCorp, I found I was ideally placed to help recruit people to join our cause. It's not hard to convince a struggling farmer that the Alliance is causing more trouble that it's worth when the promised supply of seeds is delayed for the third time in a row and he can't get his crops planted in time for a harvest before frost.
Or the family that's barely surviving on sporatic shipments of protein bars because the terraforming on their planet won't support the grains the alliance gave them.
So that's what I did. I helped set up sustainable crops on various rim planets and recruited people to our cause.
I was on Boros when the trouble began. You see, for safety reasons, you never know too many other people that you work with. I always had one of two people that I reported to and that's it. On Boros it was a man named Needy who worked at a Companion House. He used his contacts with the wealthier members of the community to fund other projects.
Well, there's a man on Boros who goes by the name Heinz. He's pretty much just a local mobster with alliance ties who thinks he's bigger than he is. Terrorizes the citizens and pretty much takes whatever he wants. One day he decided that meant me. He'd seen me at the Companion House a few times and made the excuse that he thought I was in training. Well, one day he and a few thugs come in when I was meeting with Needy and...well... Needy tried to defend me but one of his thugs knocked him out. I had my katanas on me, of course (you learn quick on the rim worlds to always be armed) and I took out his two thugs. First time I ever killed anyone. I managed to escape Heinz with nothing but a few bruises and a couple pulled feathers. I think I took out one of his eyes, too. I hope.
Well, I knew it wasn't safe for me on Boros anymore. I'm too recognizable. And I knew that Heinz wouldn't stop looking for me. He's got this overdeveloped since of vengence. He never lets anything go. So I hopped the first freighter out of the system and made my way to Black Diamond, where I knew Ath was. And that's how I ended up on the TREE.
I had hoped that that would be the end of it. But I know Heinz has Alliance connections and I think that doll he sent was his way of telling me that he found me. And to try to kill me.
I'm worried the Alliance may have a trace on us and that if we land on Boros we'll find trouble. I'm also worried that the gunshots that you heard, TRM, were because of me and now I've put Safe and Jack and the Brides in danger. I'm also worried about my friend Needy.
I'm sorry that I haven't told any of you this before. Obviously, Ath, I didn't tell you about this because if you had known, it would have put you in danger. And then, I was hoping that it would all be behind me. But it seems my past has caught up with me.
Do you think there's chocolate cake?
Serenity, First Officer of Destiny
President of the Juggled Gosling Chatroom
I
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Quote:
Originally posted by TheRealMe:
“Well, no, Seryn. I can’t make dimensional portals much larger than the height of a person. However, Rat has developed some shrinking technology that can get a shuttle small enough to go through. The problem is, I think, that we don’t have a vehicle equipped with BOTH shrinking and cloaking technology. Also, I’m afraid that I over-extended myself back during Mai-Quest2. I really can’t make portals of much size just now. I need to rest. Or space-time around me needs to relax and flatten out again. Or something."
"I suppose I could possibly send a few individuals to Boros, dropping them to within feet of one of the Brides. I suppose I know Bride7 better, so she would be easier to find…”
“Anyway, I’m afraid that the folks on Boros are on their own for the time being. Now, I COULD adjust the Sereni-Tree’s course to head directly to Boros, but I’m not sure we want to come in on the same vector that the General Grant used.”
TheRealMe reaches out his hand and concentrates mightily. A small dot of light appears, but soon fizzles out.
"I'm having trouble making portals of any size just now."
'Right, understood, *smiles a little* and there I was getting all ready for action!'
Give me a buzz when we're needed, for now just bear in mind that you have a totally functional Ocean Cloud at your disposal, and very soon will have the fighter.
As for dropping individuals, I'm not sure if thats such a good idea, until we know the situation, we don't want any more of our bodies in there than we have already. I just hope we get there in time.'
Seryn releases the button, cutting the connection, wondering why she is so concerned that they get there as soon as...
She looks up to see Quincey walking her way.
Quote:
“So, Seryn, I hear that there might be something for me to do here. Maybe some… piloting?”
*Grins* 'Yup, quite a bit of piloting! I want you with Jadehand, In the Ocean Cloud. Turns out that we have more time than I was thinking, so if you want to take her for a spin with him now, I'm certain she's just the sweetest flier you'll have come accross. You can pilot her as well if we get the chance to pilfer that metal shipment.
*remembers that she isn't actually in charge here*
Of course... that is... if you want too.
*throws her hands up* Hell, that habit of ordering people around just sinks on in doesn't it? You know what? its been a hell of a long time since breakfast was fresh, how about we go raid the kitchens? We got some downtime now to fill up, this baby is almost done. Once we've eaten, we can take the Cloud for a joy ride.
*climbs down from the fighter*
'Jade? you hungry?'
-------------------------------------------
"She's a mite whimsical in the brainpan."
Xander: "Hi, for those of you who just tuned in, everyone here is a crazy person." *grin*
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Quote:
That's Safe and Jack, Bride6 and Bride7."
"Though I wouldn't mind knowing your name first."
"Tunnels of course." SR makes a gesture indicating for citizen to show the way. Jack beckons and the group is on the move. SR walks in a somewhat backwards manner clearly read to shoot anyone coming through the front door.
SR is thinking to himself. "Bride 6 and 7, bride 6 and 7, bride 6 and 7, why does that seem so familiar? I have never seen them before. 'I remember how I cried when I heard about his widowed bride' No. Was it those Tarentino movies? No. Bride 6 and 7, all good children go to heaven. Why does it ring a bell?" And then it comes back to him.
Quote:
“Yeah, I was a bride,” she said, wistfully. “But my husband died. Accident. Anyway, seven of us brides were brought here to the SereniTree a long time ago. Magic spell or something. I was the second of us to appear, so that’s why I’m Bride2. But this is not a bad place, and I had nowhere better to go, so I stayed.”
SR squirms at the thought of going back to the SereniTree.
"You okay? What is it?" Safe askes him.
"I'm fine, I just had another reminder that safety is always a relative thing."
Citizen looks back over his shoulder, "I still didn't catch your name."
"For now you can call me Stan, if we get through this I'll tell you my real name. I presume all of yours are aliases as well. I wouldn't want to have to get all hot and sweaty in some torture chamber for several days on your behalf should I be captured."
It's now Citizen's turn to squirm.
Scorpion Regent
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** In the Hanger Bay ** **After Breakfast**
Alrighty everybody, It looks like we're ready for our test flight. Let's see what she can do. I've got a few empty crates here that we can blow out of the air lock for target practice. Let's just make sure they're a good distance from the Tree before we target them.
*the crew assembles in their flightsuits and board Ocean Cloud. Seryn and Co-pilot take the foremost seats as Rat and Washie sit by the Engineering station, JadeHand sits by weapons control*
Everyone strapped in? Good. Open the hanger bay door and let's head out to the Black.
* The Hanger bay doors open up and the 5 empty crates get sucked out away from the Tree. Ocean Cloud powers up and creeps out to join them. Once away from the Tree, speed increases and the Crew speed off for some manuevering tests. Seryn performs exquisit barrel rolls and an interesting corkscrew manuever, then increases speed towards the floating crates, treating them as pylons she ducks back and forth between them at speeds that should make the move impossible. The rest of the crew is thankful for the seat straps*
Seryn: Get the weapons ready, this is FUN!
* Spinning Ocean Cloud around and increasing speed, the weapons systems buzz to life*
I've got targets locked.
* two lasers under the cockpit spring forwards and wipeout the first target, then the second. JadeHand flips another switch and a box of missles slide out on each side of the Cloud each releasing a single missle. Box 4 and 5 are destroyed, the blast sending box 3 hurtling away from the Tree. Another switch is flipped and a compartment atop the Cloud opens. A Spear shaped item fires into the crate and the attacted cord pulls the box back towards the Cloud. JadeHand hits the release then another button and the crate is released just before the lasers turn it to ash.*
Weapons systems, Check!
*The engineers report no errors*
All systems check out I think we're clear.
*Seryn throttles up and takes Ocean Cloud out behind a nearby moon. They seem to be gone for a very long time. Crew back on the Tree begin to scan for them, and detect....... nothing the Hanger Bay on the Tree closes. Seryn shuts down Ocean Cloud and deactivates the SEP field. Ocean Cloud is a success.*
Visit WWW.Marillion.Com for a better way to live
"He's seen too much of life And there's no going back.
The loneliness calls him, And the edge which must be sharpened,
He's losing it. And he knows.
But there's a fighter in his mind and his body's tough
The years have been unkind, but kind enough." -Ocean Cloud (Marbles) -Marillion
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