RP: "Adventures in Gunrunning" - Act 11

POSTED BY: FrauDirektor
UPDATED: Monday, March 15, 2004 03:00
VIEWED: 19707
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GEEZER

Monday, March 8, 2004 8:16 PM

Thorne's Move

Location: Thorne Farm/ Walking back to Serenity.

[As THORNE stands with BOOK, looking at the ruins and the blowing pages, he hears a voice behind him, too low for the still shaken BOOK to understand.]

SLIGHT: "Rosie. We are on the clock here. I understand that this is a part of you. Unfortunately, we have no time left. Shuttle is prepped and ready, armanents minimum."

[Ignoring SLIGHT for the moment, THORNE speaks to the Shepherd.]

THORNE:"Shepherd, why don't you head back for the ship, and let me finish my business here. maybe we can talk about this later, when I'm calmed down?

[BOOK nods and turns away. As he departs, THORNE faces SLIGHT.]

THORNE:"I still think it's a bad idea to steal that shuttle. It's a big chunk of capital for these folk, as well as their lifeboat. They'll probably decide to go hunting it, and you, rather than leave. The captain especially doesn't seem the type to stand still for being robbed."

"Listen. There's a Gyrfalcon III observation craft in the warehouse. It flys just like a shuttle in atmo, and will get two people anywhere on the planet. I wish you'd take that instead. You're right about one thing, though. We should be getting back."

[With one final look at the ruins, THORNE truns away and strides quickly towards the ship.]

EOM

"Keep the Shiny side up"

MERCEDESTROY

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 1:45 AM

LOCATION - BRIDGE

MERZ nods absently at WASH while scanning the floor trying to spot an access to the crawlspace beneth the deck plates. DAMON is doing the same, and spots the access, midway between the two stations. Having freed his hands already Damon reaches down to start moving the panels. He moves enough flooring to make room for one person and one cannon and then looks over at MERZ.

"How does that look?"

MERZ nods. "That should do for now. Help me lower the gun down there and I will go under and find the mount for it. If I try to lower it alone, I am going to break either me or the gun. Not good either way. Now, I don't know this model ship, but most I have worked on before have provisions to bring the cradle inside for mounting when you are away from dry dock."

It takes both of them to carefully lower the cannon to the deck and then into the crawlspace. MERZ followed and DAMON could follow her movements by sound, banging knees, banging head and one very long series of sneezes. Yeah, he thought, probably is a bit on the dusty side down there.

A few minutes later, MERZ backs out, cap covered in dust, dragging the sensor mounting with her - DAMON can see the mounting brackets are nearly a perfect match.

Together they manage to lift the cannon, onto the mount and dog the fasteners. Then MERZ looks up at DAMON crouching on the deck above her head. "Your turn now, come on down. Take both of us to push it back out and then I need your help."

EOM

If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress

SQUEE

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 2:01 AM

Damon's turn:
LOCATION - BRIDGE

MERZ looks up at DAMON crouching on the deck above her head. "Your turn now, come on down. Take both of us to push it back out and then I need your help."

Damon pulls his long sleeves up to his elbows and drops down to join Merz. He looks around the cramped crawlspace and sees the opening behind Merz. This is going to be interesting.

They slowly scoot the unweildy cannon back to the rail system that would return it outside, secure the mounting wheels back onto the rail and slowly ease it back out of the hatch. It moves out without much protest and haltes perfectly against the mounting endpoint. The back of the cannon just cleares the outside of the hatch.

Damon sits back against the wall of the crawlspace with a grimce and realizes that the drugs Simon had given him had worn off, leaving him with the all too familiar pain of broken ribs and bullet wounds. He sighs and sits up as best he can in the cramped space to look at Merz.

"Now what?"

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

MERCEDESTROY

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 2:05 AM

LOCATION - BRIDGE

"Now is the fun part." MERZ stuck her head outside, through the 12 inch gap between the side of the cannon and the outside rim of the hatch. "You see, the power leads from the gun get fastened to those sockets over there" - she points to a spot about a foot to the right of the hatch - "and then the armor is mounted over the wiring. I weigh the least, so I get to stick my head out and play with the wires. I can't fly and need both hands, so you get to make sure I don't fall." She looks at him, head cocked to one side.

"Are you up to it? You look terrible."

EOM

If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress

SQUEE

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 2:15 AM

Damon's turn:
LOCATION - BRIDGE

"I'm fine," he says, moving toward the opening. He smiles suddenly and chuckles to himself. "Better off than those Feds anyway. Must be close to a dozen funerals being planned right now."

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

MERCEDESTROY

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 3:28 AM

LOCATION - BRIDGE

He doesn't smell fine. He smells of blood, and antiseptic and fatigue. Now that she is away from the smell of spilled liquor, it is apparent. And his business.

MERZ flattened out and let DAMON get her ankles and then eased out of the hatch. She opened the power panel and pulled out the three leads and then leaned out and over. DAMON held tight, bracing his feet on the rail. "This had better be fast," he muttered. "or I'm gonna drop her."

It was only a few minutes before she reached back to the power panel, unreeled the flexible wiring armor and started hunching back inside the hatch. DAMON quickly pulled her back inside, wincing. It was only a few seconds work to fold back the section of rail crossing the hatchway, slide the hatch closed and check the seals. And they were done.

"That's it. Now we just need the wires from the box to fasten on this end and run to whichever console gets the firing controls and it's done." MERZ scrubbed her face with both hands - but with both hands and face dirty it did not accomplish much. "Do you feel like climbing out for the wires?" She studied his face for a moment. "You are surely a stubborn *randi ko chhoro. Just how badly are you damaged?"

She swarmed out of the crawlspace before he could move and carefully lifted him out and set him back on the deck. "Sit down. I'll get the wiring finished and the deckplates moved back. You sit. She muttered something and then glanced over at DAMON.

"Do you suppose there is any chance I can get a cup of tea?" she asked? "And you too for that matter. I think we have earned it."

EOM

*randi ko chhoro = son of a bitch (Nepali)

If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress

SQUEE

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 4:08 AM

Damon’s turn:
LOCATION - BRIDGE
As...

Quote:
MERZ flattened out and let DAMON get her ankles and then eased out of the hatch. She opened the power panel and pulled out the 3 leads and then
leaned out and over. DAMON held tight, bracing his feet on the rail. "This had better be fast," he muttered. "or I'm gonna drop her."

He looks down at the captain and Zoe working below them and nods at Mal when he looks up at them. They look to be almost done down there.

Quote:
"That's it. Now we just need the wires from the box to fasten on this end and run to whichever console gets the firing controls and it's done." MERZ scrubbed her face with both hands - but with both hands and face dirty it did not accomplish much. "Do you feel like climbing out for the wires?"

She studied his face for a moment. "You are surely a stubborn *randi ko chhoro. Just how badly are you damaged?"

Damon shrugs, “Nothing I haven’t survived before.”

Quote:
She swarmed out of the crawlspace before he could move and carefully lifted him out and set him back on the deck.

Damon grimaces when Merz takes him by the upper arm, her fingers just missing his wound above his elbow. He instinctively tries to pull away from her but can’t get far while being pulled through the opening of the deck. As soon as she sets him down, he shrugs her hands off of him, stands up and steps back.

Merz: "Sit down. I'll get the wiring finished and the deckplates moved back. You sit."

"I'll stand," he says watching her warily.

She mutters something and then glances at him.
"Do you suppose there is any chance I can get a cup of tea around here?" she askes? "And you too for that matter. I think we have earned it."

Damon slowly relaxes and nods toward the doorway. "Galley's down the hall can't miss it, but I only drink that go se when it's cold. I'll take a beer if they have one and water if they don't."

He watches her disappear down the corridor and then picks up the box with the controls in it. He studies the consol in front of him for a moment and then looks up at Wash.

"Where do you want the controls to that thing?"

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

CIARA

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 6:18 AM

Inara's turn

LOCATION - CARGO BAY

JAYNE

"Well aint u jush the purtiest thing I even done seen. Com'om darlin and havsh yurself a sit down heres beshide me"

Jayne grins widely and thrusts the mostly-empty bottle of tequila toward Inara, bringing with it a wash of acrid fumes from the alcohol. Inara wrinkles her nose, smiling gamely back at Jayne. Taking the bottle from him, Inara sits by Jayne, humoring him.

Jayne gazes at her drunkenly, looking more than a little disgruntled at the loss of his fine bottle of liquor.

INARA

Why, Mister Cobb--I'd be most pleased to keep you company--here, I've made you a nice drink--won't you have some with me?

Inara holds out the steaming cup of hot tea, waving it under Jayne's nose. Jayne reaches out an unsteady hand and grasps the cup.

Eyeing the cup as if it could contain poison, engine grease, or perhaps a mix of the two, Jayne ventures a tentative sip.

Looking a little greener than normal, he turns to her, she awaits his comment, hiding her smile behind her own cup.

End Inara's turn

EOM

Just a humble supplicant in service to all things Joss

MANIACNUMBERONE

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 9:21 AM

Book's move

LOCATION - The fields surrounding Thorne Farm

Book walks slowly back towards the ship, gathering his Bible pages along the way. They've scatterd themselves over a considerable distance, but fortunately, the wind isn't rampant and the pages have stayed in a fairly straight line... all but one. Scanning the ground for the missing page, Book widens his search radius.

LOCATION - Edge of Serenity Valley

Standing on the very edge of Serenity Valley, he stops and looks over the still-blackened rocks and charred earth.

Book sinks to his knees on the hard earth. "Why did this have to happen?" Book prays "I never wanted to have anything to do with this place." [Book pauses and raises his eyes to the sky] "I know I'm not blameless for the deaths caused here." Book lowers his eyes back to the valley. "There's much I still need to do to make amends."

Behind him in the distance, Thorne and Slight pass by, unnoticed.

After a short time, Book stands and decides to retrace his steps and go back towards the Thorne farm... perhaps he missed the page along the way.

EM

GEEZER

Tuesday, March 9, 2004 12:36 PM

Thorne's Move:

Location: Serenity Valley

[THORNE looks calm as he walks back to Serenity, but his mind is going a mile a minute.]

well, that was a stupid stunt. if violence is the last refuge of the incompetent, must be pretty useless right about now. how'd i let myself get loose like that? it's not my way, anymore. need to get back in focus. calm down, roosevelt. don't need the trouble. and that preacher could'a been trouble. had training. felt it when i grabbed him. why'd he let me do that to him without a fight? gotta find out more about him. make a couple of calls. hope i can call off this kid about stealing the shuttle. isn't the best way for him to continue his mission. dashing and daring, sure, but'll just cause the rest of us trouble. and we may need it on down the road. at least he's not taking the companion's. have to talk to her when we finally get out of here. haven't met anyone like her in a way long time. need to feel like a civilized being in civilized company again. even for just a few hours. i'd like that. i'd like to head back to the core for a few years and just soak in luxury. get this job done and maybe just retire somewhere for a while. good food and drink, good company, a nice lady, or two. and what about those two strays the captain picked up? don't understand why he'd do that in the middle of a smuggling run. they seem ok but every added person is an added complication. at least we won't be finding any more passengers out here in the middle of nowhere...nowhere man, please listen, you don’t know what you’re missing, nowhere man, the world is at your command. yeah, right. he's a real nowhere man. you got me pegged, paul...or was it john wrote that? moptops, anyway.

EOM

"Keep the Shiny side up"

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