Post by KitClairvoyance on Feb 7, 2008 23:31:55 GMT -5
A short story for Hunty and Speck. Courtesy of team Purple for their joining as a Karmageddon mercenaries. Rated T for blood.
Interested in having your own story? Head over to our public board on the Splatterboard.
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“Warning. We are under attack. All personnel please report to your stations. Warning. We are un-” Leaping out of her bed, Speck tripped over the railing and came down hard onto the cold metal floor. Way to start the day. She scrambled back to her feet and grabbed her utility belt, clipping it on and making a quick check over the vials of explosive lemonade that hung from it before pulling her door aside. The corridors were filled with other personnel running to their predetermined stations. Outside the reinforced glass windows, Speck could see the enemy fleet closing in. The Restoration’s small starfighter contingent was being easily overwhelmed by sheer numerical force and Speck found tears in her eyes as she tore herself away from the window. This is a medical ship for crying out loud! How low can they get?
For a moment, she wished that she was back on the White Weewoo. Things were so much simpler back then. All she ever needed to worry about was getting a constant supply of fresh lemons. She didn’t ask to be thrown into an intergalactic war, she really didn’t. She missed serving alongside her captain, Hunty. She missed the smell of the open ocean. Under her breath, she cursed the day she had to let her curiosity get the better of her, and allowed herself to get trapped in a time-anomaly. It wasn’t that she didn’t like working on a medical starship, it certainly was different from the White Weewoo, but she also preferred not to have to put her neck on the line daily.
Pushing her thoughts away, the young engineer leapt down flights of stairs as she rushed to the Restoration’s main shielding unit. As long as the Restoration could keep her shields up, she would stand a chance of escaping the enemy fleet. Being a medical ship, she had an impressive array of shield batteries, and it would take quite a bit to bring them down. Then again, the enemy did have more than quite a bit.
Speck slammed the door at the bottom of the stair well open, stepping into the harsh heat of the lower deck. The safety indicator board that hung overhead was showing red lights across all systems; all the more reason for Speck to get to where she was needed. The emergency lights drowned the access hallways in a bright monochrome wash of red, making Speck feel like she was wading through a pool of blood as she ran towards the shield room.
A burst of steam greeted Speck, catching her by surprise and scalding the skin on her face. Ignoring the sharp pain, she stepped into the room, only to trip and fall again. Why me? As she tried to get back onto her feet, she saw that she had tripped over the body of Jeremy, the chief engineer. What? Electrical burns ran down the right side of his body, marking him with the black smell of burnt flesh.
Speck tried not to cry as she got up, she needed to get to the generator or they would be all dead. Again, she tripped and fell. She looked back and screamed as Jeremy’s burnt hand tightened itself around her ankle. She kicked frantically in an attempt to get free, only to have his other hand grab the ankle as well.
“Don’t go in there, Speck,” he said, pain making his voice soft and slow.
“If I don’t, we’re all going to die!” she cried, tears streaming down her face.
“If you go in there, you’ll be already dead!”
Speck began to kick again in protest when an explosion tore through the Restoration, bringing down large sections of hull. A long metal girder fell on Jeremy, spraying his blood all over Speck. She trembled in fear, stumbling backwards. The floor beneath her felt strangely wet. Her breathing turned cold as she saw that the vials containing her explosive lemonade had broken. As a small fire started, she closed her eyes and prayed. At least I’m on a medical ship.
~
“Admiral Huntress, a pleasure to meet you.”
“Forgive me if I don’t return the salute, Trenton. Age requires me to keep a hand on my walking stick,” Hunty replied, her frail lips smiling as best as they could. Her long, wispy white hair was tied in a tight bun. Age certainly had taken its toll on her.
“Of course,” the young captain replied. There were times when Hunty would wonder how she had gotten here as an admiral of the Royal Navy. Half a century ago, that would have been one of the two least likely things she’d expect to be. A ninja was the other. Was it really that long ago? She could still remember her days as the captain of the White Weewoo, living life free on the seas without a law in the world to hold her down.
Life certainly has a way of changing quickly.
“Admiral,” Trenton said again, pulling Hunty back into the realm of the present, “we’re as close as we can get to the island. A small rowboat will take us in.”
Hunty nodded and allowed her to be taken to the rowboat. Trenton stepped into the boat with Hunty, taking his seat. She declined the offer to sit as well, preferring to remain standing. Part of this was dictated by age, her joints weren’t up to sitting and standing too often, and part of this came from the pirate within her that liked to stand and watch over the seas. Like she had done all those years ago.
As two crewmen manned the oars, Trenton turned to Hunty. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are we doing here?”
Hunty smiled, “visiting some old friends of mine.”
Trenton took the hint and refrained from asking any more questions, or saying anything for that matter until the rowboat touched the soft sand of the island’s beach. Hunty stepped out, of the rowboat and onto the island. It certainly had been a long time indeed.
~
When Speck finally did regain consciousness, she found herself in the Restoration’s emergency bay. Medical personnel were working as quickly as they could against the backdrop of emergency sirens and explosions. Two doctors were standing over her, their faces hidden behind paper masks. Interesting how the usage of masks hasn’t changed over the centuries.
“We can’t save her, not here. We’ll have to put her in cryostasis.”
Speck’s eyes tried to catch theirs, desperate for answers. There was very little that the Restoration could not treat. Why was it that she needed to be put into cryostasis? As her mind tried to sort out her questions, one of the doctors jabbed a needle into her forearm, introducing the warm sensation of sedatives into her bloodstream.
It was only when they lowered her into the cryopod that she finally realised how bad her injury was. She looked down on herself, her throat tightening in fear as she realised that everything from her waist down had been blown completely off, leaving a few strands of muscle and tissue hanging out. A doctor gave her a thumbs up, trying to reassure her that everything would be fine as the lid of the pod slid shut, the sedative putting her to sleep.
~
Hunty walked slowly across the beach to a green meadow. She had requested that Trenton and the rest of the crew stay by the rowboat, this was something she needed to do alone. Lined neatly in a single row across the field were two-dozen white gravestones. A feeling of warm, nostalgic sadness radiated within her as she went to the first gravestone in the line.
She knelt slowly before it, her fingers touching the gravestone as they followed the letters that had been etched upon it. In memory of: Bloody ‘Marik’ Mary. Tears began to fall as she remembered the times they had spent together, all those decades ago. She knew that it wasn’t long now before they’d be together again, and part of her was looking forward to it.
“You always liked shinies, didn’t you?” Hunty whispered as she touched the soft ground on front of the gravestone. “I hope you have all the shinies you’ve ever dreamed of, wherever you are.”
Taking out a gold coin, Hunty buried it at the foot of the grave. “Here’s one last shiny from me, okay? No more.”
Reluctantly, she got up and paid her respects to the rest of her gang of meepits. For a moment, she felt young again. Like when they were all still alive, clambering all over her as she captained the White Weewoo. Yet, that was all in the past. A cool spring breeze swept over the field, taking Hunty’s sorrow with it. She knew that they were probably having fun in the afterlife; they wouldn’t have had it any other way.
There was only one last place for her to visit.
Hunty walked passed the field into a small grove, where a single plank lay. This was where the last of her memories remained. She picked the plank up gently, the remnants of the White Weewoo. The ship had once been like a daughter to her, and she would have fought to hell and back for her. But now, like the meepits, all she had were the memories.
Placing the plank aside, she took a shovel that was hidden under the bush that encircled the grove. Like any pirate, Hunty had her own stash of loot hidden, and it was time she used it. She began to dig slowly at the ground where the plank was laid. It wasn’t easy work for her aged body, but the soil was soft and gave way easily, and before long, she hit something solid.
Placing the shovel aside, Hunty brushed the dirt off, but instead of the treasure chest she expected, she found what looked like a gigantic silver pill that was almost as large as she was. It split in half at Hunty’s touch, the Admiral taking a step back in confusion as a girl fell out of it and into her arms.
~
Speck looked up, wondering how long she had been in cryostasis. She realised that something was wrong when she saw sky. The medical bay didn’t have any sky to look at. The sedative effect of being in cryostasis wore off, and she felt pain searing through her abdomen as she was forcefully reminded of her injuries.
~
The girl’s scream shook Hunty badly as she dropped her, Hutny’s hands cold with fright as she realised that the girl was missing half of her body, freshly thawed blood pouring out of the large, gaping tear where her body was severed. It was all Hunty could do to back away slowly, trying desperately to shut out the girl's harsh screams. Fear gripped her throat tightly as she finally recognised the girl. No. She can’t be Speck. They’re all dead. They’re supposed to be dead. Dead. DEAD! And with that one cry of denial, Hunty grabbed the shovel and brought it down hard on Speck’s head.
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If you liked this story, please leave a comment so it doesn't sink down too far. That and I want to know what people think of it.
Interested in having your own story? Head over to our public board on the Splatterboard.
------------------------------------------------------
“Warning. We are under attack. All personnel please report to your stations. Warning. We are un-” Leaping out of her bed, Speck tripped over the railing and came down hard onto the cold metal floor. Way to start the day. She scrambled back to her feet and grabbed her utility belt, clipping it on and making a quick check over the vials of explosive lemonade that hung from it before pulling her door aside. The corridors were filled with other personnel running to their predetermined stations. Outside the reinforced glass windows, Speck could see the enemy fleet closing in. The Restoration’s small starfighter contingent was being easily overwhelmed by sheer numerical force and Speck found tears in her eyes as she tore herself away from the window. This is a medical ship for crying out loud! How low can they get?
For a moment, she wished that she was back on the White Weewoo. Things were so much simpler back then. All she ever needed to worry about was getting a constant supply of fresh lemons. She didn’t ask to be thrown into an intergalactic war, she really didn’t. She missed serving alongside her captain, Hunty. She missed the smell of the open ocean. Under her breath, she cursed the day she had to let her curiosity get the better of her, and allowed herself to get trapped in a time-anomaly. It wasn’t that she didn’t like working on a medical starship, it certainly was different from the White Weewoo, but she also preferred not to have to put her neck on the line daily.
Pushing her thoughts away, the young engineer leapt down flights of stairs as she rushed to the Restoration’s main shielding unit. As long as the Restoration could keep her shields up, she would stand a chance of escaping the enemy fleet. Being a medical ship, she had an impressive array of shield batteries, and it would take quite a bit to bring them down. Then again, the enemy did have more than quite a bit.
Speck slammed the door at the bottom of the stair well open, stepping into the harsh heat of the lower deck. The safety indicator board that hung overhead was showing red lights across all systems; all the more reason for Speck to get to where she was needed. The emergency lights drowned the access hallways in a bright monochrome wash of red, making Speck feel like she was wading through a pool of blood as she ran towards the shield room.
A burst of steam greeted Speck, catching her by surprise and scalding the skin on her face. Ignoring the sharp pain, she stepped into the room, only to trip and fall again. Why me? As she tried to get back onto her feet, she saw that she had tripped over the body of Jeremy, the chief engineer. What? Electrical burns ran down the right side of his body, marking him with the black smell of burnt flesh.
Speck tried not to cry as she got up, she needed to get to the generator or they would be all dead. Again, she tripped and fell. She looked back and screamed as Jeremy’s burnt hand tightened itself around her ankle. She kicked frantically in an attempt to get free, only to have his other hand grab the ankle as well.
“Don’t go in there, Speck,” he said, pain making his voice soft and slow.
“If I don’t, we’re all going to die!” she cried, tears streaming down her face.
“If you go in there, you’ll be already dead!”
Speck began to kick again in protest when an explosion tore through the Restoration, bringing down large sections of hull. A long metal girder fell on Jeremy, spraying his blood all over Speck. She trembled in fear, stumbling backwards. The floor beneath her felt strangely wet. Her breathing turned cold as she saw that the vials containing her explosive lemonade had broken. As a small fire started, she closed her eyes and prayed. At least I’m on a medical ship.
~
“Admiral Huntress, a pleasure to meet you.”
“Forgive me if I don’t return the salute, Trenton. Age requires me to keep a hand on my walking stick,” Hunty replied, her frail lips smiling as best as they could. Her long, wispy white hair was tied in a tight bun. Age certainly had taken its toll on her.
“Of course,” the young captain replied. There were times when Hunty would wonder how she had gotten here as an admiral of the Royal Navy. Half a century ago, that would have been one of the two least likely things she’d expect to be. A ninja was the other. Was it really that long ago? She could still remember her days as the captain of the White Weewoo, living life free on the seas without a law in the world to hold her down.
Life certainly has a way of changing quickly.
“Admiral,” Trenton said again, pulling Hunty back into the realm of the present, “we’re as close as we can get to the island. A small rowboat will take us in.”
Hunty nodded and allowed her to be taken to the rowboat. Trenton stepped into the boat with Hunty, taking his seat. She declined the offer to sit as well, preferring to remain standing. Part of this was dictated by age, her joints weren’t up to sitting and standing too often, and part of this came from the pirate within her that liked to stand and watch over the seas. Like she had done all those years ago.
As two crewmen manned the oars, Trenton turned to Hunty. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are we doing here?”
Hunty smiled, “visiting some old friends of mine.”
Trenton took the hint and refrained from asking any more questions, or saying anything for that matter until the rowboat touched the soft sand of the island’s beach. Hunty stepped out, of the rowboat and onto the island. It certainly had been a long time indeed.
~
When Speck finally did regain consciousness, she found herself in the Restoration’s emergency bay. Medical personnel were working as quickly as they could against the backdrop of emergency sirens and explosions. Two doctors were standing over her, their faces hidden behind paper masks. Interesting how the usage of masks hasn’t changed over the centuries.
“We can’t save her, not here. We’ll have to put her in cryostasis.”
Speck’s eyes tried to catch theirs, desperate for answers. There was very little that the Restoration could not treat. Why was it that she needed to be put into cryostasis? As her mind tried to sort out her questions, one of the doctors jabbed a needle into her forearm, introducing the warm sensation of sedatives into her bloodstream.
It was only when they lowered her into the cryopod that she finally realised how bad her injury was. She looked down on herself, her throat tightening in fear as she realised that everything from her waist down had been blown completely off, leaving a few strands of muscle and tissue hanging out. A doctor gave her a thumbs up, trying to reassure her that everything would be fine as the lid of the pod slid shut, the sedative putting her to sleep.
~
Hunty walked slowly across the beach to a green meadow. She had requested that Trenton and the rest of the crew stay by the rowboat, this was something she needed to do alone. Lined neatly in a single row across the field were two-dozen white gravestones. A feeling of warm, nostalgic sadness radiated within her as she went to the first gravestone in the line.
She knelt slowly before it, her fingers touching the gravestone as they followed the letters that had been etched upon it. In memory of: Bloody ‘Marik’ Mary. Tears began to fall as she remembered the times they had spent together, all those decades ago. She knew that it wasn’t long now before they’d be together again, and part of her was looking forward to it.
“You always liked shinies, didn’t you?” Hunty whispered as she touched the soft ground on front of the gravestone. “I hope you have all the shinies you’ve ever dreamed of, wherever you are.”
Taking out a gold coin, Hunty buried it at the foot of the grave. “Here’s one last shiny from me, okay? No more.”
Reluctantly, she got up and paid her respects to the rest of her gang of meepits. For a moment, she felt young again. Like when they were all still alive, clambering all over her as she captained the White Weewoo. Yet, that was all in the past. A cool spring breeze swept over the field, taking Hunty’s sorrow with it. She knew that they were probably having fun in the afterlife; they wouldn’t have had it any other way.
There was only one last place for her to visit.
Hunty walked passed the field into a small grove, where a single plank lay. This was where the last of her memories remained. She picked the plank up gently, the remnants of the White Weewoo. The ship had once been like a daughter to her, and she would have fought to hell and back for her. But now, like the meepits, all she had were the memories.
Placing the plank aside, she took a shovel that was hidden under the bush that encircled the grove. Like any pirate, Hunty had her own stash of loot hidden, and it was time she used it. She began to dig slowly at the ground where the plank was laid. It wasn’t easy work for her aged body, but the soil was soft and gave way easily, and before long, she hit something solid.
Placing the shovel aside, Hunty brushed the dirt off, but instead of the treasure chest she expected, she found what looked like a gigantic silver pill that was almost as large as she was. It split in half at Hunty’s touch, the Admiral taking a step back in confusion as a girl fell out of it and into her arms.
~
Speck looked up, wondering how long she had been in cryostasis. She realised that something was wrong when she saw sky. The medical bay didn’t have any sky to look at. The sedative effect of being in cryostasis wore off, and she felt pain searing through her abdomen as she was forcefully reminded of her injuries.
~
The girl’s scream shook Hunty badly as she dropped her, Hutny’s hands cold with fright as she realised that the girl was missing half of her body, freshly thawed blood pouring out of the large, gaping tear where her body was severed. It was all Hunty could do to back away slowly, trying desperately to shut out the girl's harsh screams. Fear gripped her throat tightly as she finally recognised the girl. No. She can’t be Speck. They’re all dead. They’re supposed to be dead. Dead. DEAD! And with that one cry of denial, Hunty grabbed the shovel and brought it down hard on Speck’s head.
------------------------------------------------------
If you liked this story, please leave a comment so it doesn't sink down too far. That and I want to know what people think of it.
