GR RP "Adventures in Gunrunning" ACT 21
POSTED BY: CapnRahn
UPDATED: Thursday, October 14, 2004 13:08
VIEWED: 20054
PAGE 4 of 10
Damon’s turn:
LOCATION - INFIRMARY to CARGO BAY
Quote:
MERZ
ROWAN requested some bloodwork. There are substances that test similar to that machine but leave different aftertaste. Just being thorough. To answer your question - yes, I can teach you to braid. Is there something else you require here?
MERZ dips the pipette once more and applies a couple more drops to her tongue. Closing her eyes once again, she returns her attention to the analysis, scent and taste.
Damon’s expression seems to get even more confused at Merz’s attempted explanation. But the last part he did understand: he’s disrupting her work. He takes a step back toward the door.
“No, I’ll be in the cargo bay and leave you to it.”
Merz is too busy concentrating to give an answer so he turns and heads for the cargo bay. By the time he gets there, his confusion is dismissed. No point in trying to figure something out if it’s not important. If anything, he can ask about it later.
He walks into the cargo bay, looking around for these bungee cords Kaylee spoke of.
“Jayne, you know where the bungee cords are?”
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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BLENDED POST – KAYLEE and WASH
LOCATION - BRIDGE
DAMON
Thanks, but next time I think we should make the mess makers do their own dirty work. He grins at WASH, and exits the bridge, with new work on his mind.
KAYLEE
Boy’s got a point. She gives WASH a mildly evil smirk over the smoking iron in her right hand. WASH cringes a little and smiles back.
WASH
OK, I’m sorry. It was an accident. It won’t happen again. I promise. Again.
Yeah, yeah. It’s OK. I love my pilot. Just a little, mind you.
Behind them, still seated at the gunnery controls, ZOË smiles to herself, chuckling faintly. What a pair of idiots.
They work in silence for a while, both utterly familiar with the job and with each other’s abilities. On her back, arms buried in wires and cables, KAYLEE works away, separating the still good components from the blown parts and shorted wires. Watching him from floor level, she can tell WASH has something on his mind. She is about to drag it out of him, when he decides to spill it on his own.
Kaylee, about those … pink … lights. Do you suppose we could do something about, say, replacin’ them with something more … suitable? Like a nice, normal red? He smiles hopefully at her.
I don’t think so.
You don’t think so? Other pilots get red lights. It’s traditional! It’s manly and full of testosterone. Pink is so … well … embarrassing. What if someone saw us like that? Through the view port. How could I live it down?
KAYLEE looks pointedly at the fuchsia hibiscus flowers surrounding the hula dancers on his aloha shirt.
Wash shakes his right forefinger at her. Hey, hey – that is entirely different! Don’t go dissin’ the shirt now. That’s traditional too. No really, Kaylee. Why can’t I have my red bulbs back?
For starters, because we don’t have any.
We don’t have any? How can we not have any? Did we have some before? Can you get some? Kaylee, that makes no sense, unless the guy flyin’ this boat before us was no guy.
Kaylee shakes the soldering iron at him. Look, it’s like this. Remember that fire a while back? We lost a few lights when we vac’d the ship. I replaced them when I could, some of which had to wait for the next landfall. The pink lights were cheaper and we were under a budget. As usual. I don’t … have … any red ones, unless there are a couple of the original lights that are still working somewhere.
Good. That is good. Would you look? Can you just replace the one on the bridge for me? I would like that. Really. So anyone looking in knows what a hard case I really am.
KAYLEE looks at WASH, and shakes her head. Her expression is difficult to interpret.
Wash, I can’t change the bridge light even if I can find another one. That one is an engineering nightmare. Some gorram designer frelled that one up big time. She looks up at him; at the pitiful expression on his boyish face and sighs. It’s like this. That light is shielded, and cannot be reached from inside Serenity. In order to change the alert bulb I have to go outside, through an access plate on the hull and then disconnect and remove part of the life support system. Now, I might be persuaded to go EVA for your ego, but the rest of the crew gotta breathe. So you are just gonna have to wait.
‘Sides, I’m gonna disable the thing again anyway. We don’t need a battle stations alert on a cargo transport. Who’s got a battle station in this crew?
EOM
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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JAYNE'S move
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
DAMON
"Jayne, you know where the bungee cords are?"
JAYNE
Jayne keeps a steady eye on the stick welder and the slag, and replies without looking up, "Nope."
As Damon turns to try his luck elsewhere, Jayne adds, "If ya can't find no rubber bands, ya can always try my idear." Jayne keeps working and continues, "A 900 square foot parachute, with a drogue chute. Course, that's only gonna work if Thorne's box is under 1,200 pounds. Maybe with airbags on the bottom."
Jayne retracts the welding torch and spits right onto the near molten slag, vapourizing it with a quick hiss.
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LOCATION: MINDSCAPE OF A DYING MAN
The Ending of Brink Helsing
As the ultimate audience and voyeurs, we now look to the fragile web of tissue and electricity that comprises the corporeal mind of Brink 'Slight' Helsing. This web is failing. Flickers of neural energy pulse sluggishly along their chemical pathways. Whole sections of brain cells darken with the advent of decay, their food and air supply cut off at the moment of Slight's physical death. A vicious murder accomplished by the hands of Corvair Troy, directed by a bizarre version of Adali Niska.
Following a weak, luminescent crimson memory trigger, we see it approach a cluster of neural cells covered in a fine netting of tiny red dots. At closer inspection, these dots resolve into a network of interconnected figures - Nanites. These particular units look like a bizarre combination of squid and scorpion. Using claw and tail, they form a substructure to support the flagging information nodes. Neural energy flashes from nanite to nanite, until the electro-pulse reaches its intended destination. There the pulse is stored chemically within a nearly comatose brain cell.
The pulse that we have been following reaches this area of intense reconstruction. Its substance shatters into thousands of fireflies that bob and flit across the nanite network. Much like an infusion of adrenalin to a muscle, the cell network is rejuvenated and enervated. Cell growth and regeneration fairly explodes. Nanites are dragged apart as new pathways are created to accommodate the growth. Inspired by this surprising reaction to a memory trigger, a new plan of action by the DeepRED is initiated. Active stimulation of the memory in order to revive the lagging brain tissues seemed the appropriate action. It triggers the most traumatic recent fresh memory it can access. The Biologic witnessing its own Discorporation would do adequately.
ACTION INIATIED
A Man awoke to Chaos - an observer to a passion play within the Mindscape of Brink Helsing. The Man fails to realize he is witnessing his own demise, that he is indeed Brink Helsing. Thunderstruck, he can only watch the scene unfold, as shifts and flows to become the Observer. Frozen figures in front of the Observer appear to be the actors in this scene. The Observer continues to watch, anticipation surging from him in palatable waves.
They all stand staunchly arrayed in a shifting landscape. Alternating between metal panels and dust-fine debris, a kaleidoscope comprised of the backdrops of personal history swim by. Sections of life memories tumble around the legs of all. Balls of withered earthly distractions that are unheeded by the Actors and the Observer. Three face off in a nearly perfect triangle. A prim and proper looking doctor - Simon, another man dressed in a futuristic armor with glowing red eyes - Slight, and a frail looking old man that radiates a great darkness - Niska. A fourth presence hovers near the frail looking oldster -- not much more that a silhouette of a huge man, etched as if in the heat haze of a desert highway. His essence cannot be identified by the Observer. It/he is a wildcard.
A silent call from the unseen director signals: ACTION ...
Slight suddenly drops to his knees. "And despite it all, I thought you were a God. I thought … I blindly thought that someday, it would be over, and I could start differently."
Apparently divorced from the scene playing out with Slight, Niska and Simon face each other. The fourth non-presence drifts towards the kneeling figure of Slight. The figure of Simon is obviously attempting to move, but fails. Niska seems to be working nonexistent controls and speaking to someone off-stage.
Simon, still paralyzed, can only watch as Niska makes his calls, and works his deals. So far, he has tried to remain calm - what else can he do? "Maybe Slight will wake up," he thinks desperately. "Maybe he'll wake up, and secure him. Find some way to get me bac
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ZOE'S MOVE:
LOCATION - BRIDGE
ZOE crosses her arms and leans back against the console in her favorite spot in the corner - just to WASH's right, where she can see everything - and listens to the interchange between KAYLEE and WASH, amazed and amused at WASH's apparent foray into machismo.
KAYLEE: "‘Sides, I’m gonna disable the thing again anyway. We don’t need a battle stations alert on a cargo transport. Who’s got a battle station in this crew?"
ZOE straightens and puts one hand on WASH's shoulder, the other propped on her left hip.
ZOE: "Actually, KAYLEE, might not be a bad idea to leave it connected. Way this job's been goin' so far, way may need it." --beat as ZOE looks at WASH-- "Just make sure the switch is good and red..."
As she speaks this last, the corner of ZOE's mouth lifts in a wry grin.
END MOVE.
OOC: I'm Baaaaaack!! Woo hoo! *happy chair dance of joy*
And Merz: Thanks for putting that tag in to let me know where Zoe was - made it easier to pick up...
~Astriana~
~Mostly-Invisible Long-Winded Goddess of Inter-Board Communication and Diplomacy a/k/a El Jefe Magnifico's Mistress... of Communications and Harems~
...I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me.
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Damon's turn:
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
Quote:
JAYNE
Jayne keeps a steady eye on the stick welder and the slag, and replies without looking up, "Nope."
As Damon turns to try his luck elsewhere, Jayne adds, "If ya can't find no rubber bands, ya can always try my idear." Jayne keeps working and continues, "A 900 square foot parachute, with a drogue chute. Course, that's only gonna work if Thorne's box is under 1,200 pounds. Maybe with airbags on the bottom."
Jayne retracts the welding torch and spits right onto the near molten slag, vapourizing it with a quick hiss.
Damon turns back to Jayne with a slight look of confusion. "Do we have a 900 square foot parachute? or a drogue chute or air bags? or the materials to make them? and how are we going to weigh the thing? I think braidin cords would be a might easier don't you?"
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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JAYNE'S move
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
DAMON
"I think braidin cords would be a might easier don't you?"
JAYNE
"Hey, I don't mean ta be pissin on yer parade here. Jus I never seen a cargo drop done with rubber bands afore." Jayne fishes behind him with one hand for another metal beam. "I really can't help ya out here. I woulnd't even know where ta begin figurin' how much the cord would hold an' how far it'll stretch. So, best of luck. You ain't thinking of tying the cord to the crane up there, is ya?" Jayne listens, then breaks in suddenly, "say, who's idea is this anyhow?"
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Damon's turn:
LOCATION – CARGO BAY
Quote:
JAYNE
"Hey, I don't mean ta be pissin on yer parade here. Jus I never seen a cargo drop done with rubber bands afore." Jayne fishes behind him with one hand for another metal beam. "I really can't help ya out here. I woulnd't even know where ta begin figurin' how much the cord would hold an' how far it'll stretch. So, best of luck. You ain't thinking of tying the cord to the crane up there, is ya?" Jayne listens, then breaks in suddenly, "say, who's idea is this anyhow?"
"Kaylee gave me the job. I assume its her idea. I get paid to do the jobs I'm given, not to ask if they are going to work. I assume she's smart enough to know whether her ideas will work or not. an I don't know where we are attatching the cords to yet, she jus told me to braid them."
Damon turns, walks toward the com and turns it on.
"Kaylee, where're the cords at?" Mutters quietly to himself: "an please don't say I gotta dig through more gorram boxes..."
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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Alliance Force Declaration:
Wanted Dead or Alive:
Albino male, five foot eleven inches, age sixty-three. Red eyes, white skin, white or black hair. Uses following aliases: Brink Helsing, Brian Howards, Pedro Chavez, Weilong Ran, Hrünta, and Blue Child. Wanted for treason against the Allied planets of the ‘Verse, the deaths of Core representatives Elizabeth Warrick and Gerald Hoffman, Baron Lee Tsung, and Baroness Cleopatra Delacroix Tsung, and unrelated, recently passed CEO of Blue Sun Corporation Harold Helsing, as well as uncounted civilians, grand theft vessel and embezzlement.
WARNING: EXTREMELY LETHAL. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND UNLESS PROFESSIONAL AND PREPARED.
There is a possibility that the suspect is already dead consorting with radicals and/or criminals. If so, do not tamper with the body, and report on the Cortex immediately.
Reward for suspect: 7,000,000 credits
Penalty for fraud: 50,000
Wanted Dead or Alive:
White female, five foot three inches, age seventeen. Last seen with shoulder length lavender hair, eyes are white flecked with purple. Uses the following aliases: Silver Sun, Serena Garrison, Candy Seraph, and Blue Daughter. Wanted for treason against the Allied planets of the ‘Verse, conspiracy with radical terrorists and criminals, minor theft, murder in the first, second and third degree, grand theft vessel, theft against major corporate allies, impersonation of Alliance federal agents, aiding and abetting other criminals and supporting crimes against the Allied planets.
WARNING: EXTREMELY LETHAL. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND UNLESS PROFESSIONAL AND PREPARED.
Reward for suspect alive and healthy: 500,000 credits.
Reward for suspect dead or severely injured: 412,000 credits.
Penalty for fraud: 400,00
OOC: Notice how it's AFD, instead of APD
We can't all be heroes, since some of us have to sit at the curb and clap as they go by.
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FINAL BLEND - KAYLEE AND WASH
LOCATION - BRIDGE
Time. Time is everywhere the same, and everywhere different. It’s a point of view thing. From my point of view, right here and right now, it is 18:03 AMT (6:03 PM). The date (if I am not mistaken) Year 2518 ~ Day 023/January 23 ~
ZOË
Actually, KAYLEE, might not be a bad idea to leave it connected. Way this job's been goin' so far, way may need it. ZOE looks fondly at WASH Just make sure the switch is good and red.
Kaylee thinks about that for a moment. An idea strikes her suddenly and she giggles out loud. She slithers out from under the console and knee-walks over to her toolbox, after sending an evil grin toward ZOË. Scattering tools and still giggling, she digs down to the bottom of the box, and lifts out a small blister pack. Seated so that no one can see what she is doing, she begins opening it.
KAYLEE
I got something even better than a red switch. I found this down in parts storage when I first came aboard. Reckon my Captain isn’t the only one who considered arming this boat.
She holds it up. It appears to be one of those fancy firing trigger thingy’s, with a flip-top lid securing the button/toggle/switch that is the important part.
WASH’s eyes pop at the sight. He is almost jittering with excitement, his face beaming.
WASH
Wow! Hook it up! Hook it up … ! Shiny! Thanks Kaylee! I owe you one, or several.
He turns toward ZOË and snatches a kiss. Now that has a really high cool factor, don’t you think bao-bei?
As WASH is obviously ready to place his new switch, KAYLEE reaches to hand it to him, and goes to dive back down for her soldering iron. The comm comes on suddenly.
DAMON
Kaylee, where're the cords at? … There is some further muttering, too soft for the comm to pick up.
Aahhh, poo. ZOË can you hit the comm for me?
DAMON, the bungees are in a locker under the stairs leading from the cargo area to the dining area. There is a K painted on the latch. Just push in on the center of the letter and release. The door should open. Don’t mess with anything but the bungees, OK?
Thanks ZOË.
KAYLEE and WASH return back to work contentedly, and even as they move on to other parts of the helm console, WASH’s eyes keep straying back to his new toy. The one he just KNOWS he will be forever forbidden to touch – on pain of mutilation. Ah, he just loves it when things are ... interesting. REX will love it too.
EOM
Bao-bei = baby
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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