To FFML: A spam thread on the S. M. Stirling ML awoke another warped idea in
what passess for my brain. Feel free to take a look as it is also On Topic
here.
To Stirling ML: Well, you _wanted_ an evil fanfic idea, did you not?
HTG
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Afternoon
Early Summer
A Mountain Valley
"Wierd." mused the young redhead as she chewed on a grass stem and gazed at
the uncluttered sky. She cut a fairly unusual figure, attractive enough to
have turned heads in a less deserted setting and wearing little more than a
silvery bikini over her bronze skin.
But then, the surface she was laying on would have attracted far more
attention almost anywhere but a riverbank in an isolated valley.
"Funny," grumbled another voice from within the slightly wrecked armed cruiser
turned sundeck, "you lazing around while I'm my baby's hurt and were stranded
in the heart of the Restricted Zone seems _perfectly_ normal, Kei."
"That's just it, Yuri." the sluggard in question said, an unusually thoughtful
expression on her face as she sat up, "It's only been what, two, three
centuries since the Nanoclysm ate most of the outer system and the HomeWorld's
factions went apeshit? I mean all the sims said this rock was wiped clean."
"Well *grunt* maybe it wasn't all that bad." replied a similarly dressed woman
with pale skin and long black hair as she hauled herself out of a hatch, a cord
still trailing from the interface socket behind her ear, "Nanotech was banned
on-planet and communications with the outer colonies fell apart once the
shooting started...." Yuri trailed off as she considered the implications.
Humanity's flight from the Sol system as rampaging nanotechnology spread among
the offworld colonies and Terra itself was consumed by continent shattering
warfare was an article of faith for the past several generations. Indeed, it
was the painful memories of suicidal nationalism more that anything held the
United Galactica (mostly) together since it's foundation.
But this wilderness was _alive_ and thriving, the scars of conflict faded
beyond recognition even if they were there at all. No war that left this
little damage could have hoped to slay humanity on a world they were literally
born to thrive on. No war... that was mere centuries in the past.
"Oi! So what the verdict?" Kei barked as she rapped her woolgathering partner
in crimefighting on the skull, "Can we lift on our own or what?"
"Huh?" Yuri blurted as she shook herself and a panther-like head with
tentacles near the jowls nudged her from below, "Oh, Mughi says the hull's
intact and auto-repair should have the nullgrav systems up and running in a
week or so. The reactor's fine and the computers back up so there's no problem
there, but the warp drive's _totally_ shot after that jury rig-"
"Which _you_ insisted would work." Kei grumbled
"We're here aren't we?" Yuri shot back, "And the test-pod landed somewhere in
this drainage basin after warping directly into orbit so there, *pbllflt*."
"*sigh* So, Ms Hawking," Kei sneered, "how're we gonna get back to UG space
'fore we die of old age if we can't warp?"
#Ohno,# Yuri thought as she reviewed the options left them, #there aren't any
relays left in this system, and we _can't_ risk mining any asteroids that could
still be infested! The only thing we can do is....#
"Let's find the pod!" she blurted, "It came down fine and it shouldn't be much
trouble to hook it up besides we're supposed to find the hijacker anyway and-"
"Yuri!" Kei barked, halting her partners babbling, "_Great_ idea! Whatareya
waiting for?"
******
Evening
Within WWWA Cruiser _Lovely_ _Angel_
"Like I said Yuri," Kei said as she paced nervously, "Whatareya waiting for?"
The redhead was obviously ready for prolonged field operations; carrying a
plasma cannon, oversized sidearm, handheld GM Field Generator, extra powerpacks
of various sizes, even rations and a first aid kit. Her partner on the other
hand sat with a look of concentration on her face and both the starship's
central computer and her own laptop mainframe connected to her interface
sockets.
"Yuri... I've been thinking," Kei began hesitantly, her friend's lack of a
sarcasic comment was the single most frightening thing that had occured on this
trip.
"This hijacker," the redhead continued as she sat to check her weaponry over
again, "that survivor said it was a woman operating solo and the scanners
didn't pick up any mechs, but _someone_ pried open that security door
singlehanded. Another thing, she had up chasing shadows over half the planet
before we figured out what she was after.
"Yuri, you said she got past the 3WA incryption on the security lockout
without even trying." Kei said gravely, "I think it's... Her."
"Kei, I'm afraid we've got worse things to worry about than a schitzophrenic
bioroid who wants to see us die horribly." Yuri said with a perfectly straight
face as a pair of starcharts appeared on the main viewscreen.
"Huh?" the redhead replied eloquently.
"Check the time/date stamp on the right," Yuri explained softly, "that's the
current view from this planet."
"What're you talking abou- no way. No way in _HELL_!" Kei shouted as she grew
ashen.
"Sorreee" Yuri reponded lamely.
******
Late Morning
Sixth Iron Cycle, Twelfth Day, Year of the Bronze FlitterCat (AD4975)
Slaf Hikarme Business Offices, F'talezon, Upper Brezhan River
Megan Whitlock, thief, slave, river captain, and now head of a trading house,
took a final glance at the paperwork from the _Lady_ _Grey_ _Wolf's_ last trip
up from Brahvniki and leaned back to openly examine the strange woman in front
of her desk. She was slightly tall for a naZak female, of no obvious race the
head of Slaf Hikarme knew of, and rather attractive in her castoff Aenir
clothing.
"Good day, Teik." Megan finally said with a businesslike nod, "My cousin has
told me a great deal about you."
"About joining your crew after hurt your sailors, yes?" the stranger said with
a disarming smile, "It would be a bad thing for leaving you short a hand
because of a disagreement."
Megan hid her frown as she rolled the information Rilla Shadows'shade sent her
on the stranger that boarded in Aenir'sford. The woman had reportedly wandered
in from the wilderness a week before their arrival, learned enough of the river
pidgin to make herself understood, and _somehow_ managed to cripple a
half-dozen of her sailors in a tavern brawl. Of course that alone was enough
to make her arrainge a formal meeting instaid of introducing herself casually
when she had a chance to do some real work, and given the discrepancy between
the silent wanderer her employees in Aenir'sford reported and the
extraordinarily charming woman in her office who spoke better Zak than most in
F'talezon's River Quarter she was glad she went through the extra effort.
Of course the fact that the last person she met who radiated _trust_ _me_ so
strongly was Habiku Smoothtongue had nothing to do with it. Really.
Megan glanced discreetly around her office and realized that the distrustful
glare of a notorious Brezhan river privateer, the cool regard of a Kommanz
aristocrat turned mercenary, and the presense of a battle-scarred greathound
that easily outweighed every living thing in the office combined had utterly
failed to faze the stranger.
#Either she just dropped out of the sky,# Megan thought grimly, #stares into
the Dark Lord's realm for fun, or both.# The yellow witch briefly toyed with
the idea of a more dramatic attempt at intimidation, but settled for tapping an
extravagantly colored nail on the empty bronze stein on her desk.
#Now _that_ got a reaction.# Megan observed when the ringing sound of metal on
metal filled the lull in the room. The woman's face... flickered, the pleasant
smile replaced by a look of dispassionate curiosity for an instant as she
glanced at both the stein and the sharpened iron that grew in the place of her
own fingernails before resuming the sociable mask.
The interview continued for the next few minutes, with the enigma subtly
turning aside any probing questions as to her background and avoiding _all_
hints as to her past. Finally the head of the House of the Sleeping Dragon
glanced out the corner of her eye at her husband Shyll teRyadn, then at her
wife Shkai'ra Mek Kermak's-kin. She did not need to speak or even reach into
thier minds to know thier opinions on the matter, and according to her report
Rilla felt the same way.
#Keep her close, watch her like a hawk, kill her if she gives us the slightest
excuse.#
"Welcome aboard, Shasti." Megan said drawing herself to her full (four foot)
height and extending her hand with every appearance of businesslike
satisfaction.
"I thank you, Teik Whitlock" Shasti smiled as she returned the handshake.
******
EarthFall: 4975
A Dirty Pair/Fifth Millenium Crossover
Coming... possibly never?
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