(Sorry it took me so long to get to this -- I've been under heavy
exposure to RL-ite, the mysterious phenomenon that saps my C&C Powers)
> Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot
> Chapter 8
Yatta! I'd just started wondering, lately, when the next
chapter of
this would come out. Your timing is impeccable.
> xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Kei felt like ramming her face into the flight console as her ship hung
> motionless in space, a miniature star to those a hundred kilometers
away,
> and invisible to any beyond that. It wasn't her fault her ship was so
> insignificant. The independent, single person spacecraft that had had
> been
Sug: "single seat" is the usual phrase used in aircraft circles,
although I can see why you might not want to use it in this context.
Two "had" in a row.
> issued to the Lovely Angel was embarrassing, and would never have been
> used,
> save the company that manufactured them gave the 3WA such a good deal on
> selling them in bulk.
Sug: "would never have seen service"
> The rounded vehicle resembled a silvery beach ball and had earned the
> ignominious nickname 'Bouncer' since it looked like it could bounce off
> anything it crashed into. Kei could testify firsthand that was not the
> case,
Gee, I wonder HOW she knows THAT...
> and their metal would buckle under a direct impact the same way any
Sug: "their hull/structure/frame/fuselage"
other
> vehicle would. She hated the damn things, from their uncomfortable
Sug: "vehicle's"
> seats to
> comical look to their lack of decent weaponry. All it had was a lousy
"to their comical look"
> single-barreled laser ball turret mounted on the bottom. It could
> barely be
> called a weapon. Opening the cockpit and using her sidearm would be
> almost
> as effective. All right, the vehicle wasn't intended for combat, just
> light
> travel, but they could have placed something with more kick on board.
"Granted, the ship wasn't..."
> Kei wouldn't have been so frustrated if those idiots at 3WA
> Headquarters had
> agreed to her request and requisitioned her one of those new
> single-seater
> Mustangs. Now there was a fighter. Some designer had used a throwback
> design
> reminiscent of the early Earth propeller driven aircraft of the same
name
> innumerable centuries ago. They were armed with six forward laser
cannons
Cannon is plural w/o an "s", IIRC.
> mounted in the wings, a pair of plasma cannons in the nose, and still
had
> room for missiles! It was the perfect single pilot fighter craft as
> far as
> Kei was concerned. So what if the Lovely Angel's bay didn't have
> enough room
> to launch one? They could have modified it or something. How much could
> retrofitting it really cost?
I'm having a Dilbert flashback, here.
> Annoyed more than ever at being thwarted in her designs, Kei stared
> off in
> the distance at the refueling station suspended above one of the moons
"into the distance"
> circling Karpathia, the single gas giant planet at the edge of the
system
> Myce was located in. While the Bouncer's fuel capacity wasn't the
> greatest,
> she still had enough she could have flown straight through and refueled
> planetside while she was on her mission, but the rates were cheaper in
> orbit
> and headquarters had been getting on everyone's cases about needless
> expenses with fuel.
Bit of a run-on.
"needless fuel expenses."
> So, being the responsible agent she was, Kei waited among the numerous
> space
> vehicles that surrounded the ten mile long pylons that spun around each
> other like a giant mobile above a child's crib. Each of the pylons had a
> number of spacecraft attached to them, pumping them full of whatever
> type of
To many "them"s.
Sug: "...pylons that spun around each other like a hanging
sculpture.
Each pylon had a number of spacecraft docked to it, supplying each
ship with whatever type of fuel (consumables?) it required."
> fuel they needed. Further off in the distance, she could just make out
> large
> containers, each miles long and linked umbilically together, that
> contained
> the rest of the fuel. Once the pylon stations emptied their stores, they
> would bring up one of the containers and refuel from there. It was a
> sound
> and simple operation, but the station could only handle so much
> traffic at
> one time.
Sug: "Further away, at a safe distance... linked by umbilicals,
that
stored the bulk of the fuel supply.... as needed, full containers would
be brought up to refuel each pylon."
> Currently Kei was being forced to wait for two hours, going on
> three, to get a position at one of the 'pumps'. It was infuriating.
Sug: "...had been waiting for two..."
> The anger made Kei more irritable. She hated this. Why the hell did Iria
> feel compelled to send her to Myce and force her to personally ask this
> super hacker (who would be some pimply-faced loser kid, like all
computer
> geeks were),
Ask him what? That sentence lacks a noun.
> when Yuri could have done the job? Or better yet, simply
> send
> him the information over sub-space channels, like any normal person
> would?
> Iria was just being paranoid about their information being
> compromised, even
> if it felt like someone was one step ahead of them in the race to kill
> Zeiram.
Nooo, I don't think so.
> To make things worse, Kei just knew that in her absence Yuri was
going to
> slut her way into Killgore's bed. It wasn't fair! Kei wanted to do it
> first.
Wow, "slut" is a verb. (:) And Kei has such high asirations...
> Though with more style than Yuri would, of course. She was a lot
classier
> than her partner was. Yuri might have put on the airs of a discerning
> connoisseur, but was in reality little better than a common streetwalker
> when it came to men. Kei was much more discerning, though it felt like
> forever since she had been with a guy, and the whole birthday thing
Sug: "though it *did* feel like..."
Geez, I wonder why they're still partners. Or is Kei just
having a bad
week?
had
> taken its toll on her feminine pride. Killgore would have been the
> perfect
> cure for that, aside from being Iria's ex-husband and everything. But
Yeah, that little teeny detail...
> really, that was a minor sticking point. Just because it didn't work
> out for
"...hadn't worked out for..."
> those two didn't mean it would be the same for Kei and Killgore.
> Anything
> was possible.
Extra space.
> No, it wasn't possible at the moment, since she was stuck in the
> middle of
Sug: "Except it wasn't..."
> nowhere, destined to rendezvous with a cyber-geek whose acquainted
> with the
"acquaintance"
> female gender was through pixels rather than actual flesh. Her life was
> really sickening. It was enough to give her a mid-life crisis at the
> age of
> thirty-four.
Well, she always was an early bloomer. (:)
She's getting this set of mental images set in concrete, isn't she?
> Kei slammed her fists onto the console. Saving money wasn't worth the
> wait.
> If those service station idiots didn't call her ship in the next five
> minutes, she would head toward Myce. Besides, what difference did
> saving a
> few credit chips mean when the Lovely Angel was going to need a complete
> overhaul anyway?
Goulet: AGAIN!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
> Just as she charged up her engine, a movement from the rear caught her
> eye.
> Someone behind her was moving toward the station. That was odd. Given
his
> position, he would have dropped out of hyperspace after her, and had a
> longer wait than she did. At least he better have. If he had some
> connection
> that enabled him to cut in front and get refueled before her, she'd
close
> the whole operation down for illegal business practices. No one line
> jumped
> Kei and got away with it. No one.
Hate to see her running a token booth on the NYC subway...
> As the ship drew nearer, Kei drew a visual on it and her jaw nearly
> dropped.
> It was one of those Mustangs she had just been fantasizing about. She
> practically drooled at the sight of elegant death as it made a direct
> line
> toward her. Seeing it in real life made the promotional sale holos of it
> pale in comparison. Once the mission was completed and she returned to
> headquarters, it didn't matter who she had to kiss up to; she was
> having one
> of those beauties permanently assigned to her.
>
> It was as she genuflected in the spacecraft's presence that something
<snicker>
> about
> the way it neared tickled at her conscience. Its approach vector was
> off. If
Sug: "...about its approach vector tickled... If she..."
> she didn't know any better, she would have sworn it was heading toward
> her
> rather than the refueling station. And the way it was swooping in, it
was
> identical to an attack run she would use if her Bouncer was the target.
She was so busy admiring this obvious professionalism that she
forgot
to dodge until too late...
> Reflexes took over as Kei fired up her already primed engines. The ship
> lurched forward the instant she hit the button. One thing the Bouncer
had
> going for it was an ultra-fast reaction time.
>
> Kei's one concession toward her vehicle's prowess proved to be the
> difference between life and death as a sextet of ruby colored lances of
> energy filled the space her vehicle had occupied a moment earlier. The
> Mustang, traveling at such a high rate of speed toward what had been a
> stationary object, swooped past before it could fire a second volley.
Sug: "Mustang, closing so quickly with what had been a stationary
target..."
> The whine of the Bouncer's engines filled the cockpit as they reached
> their
> maximum output. Kei tried following the Mustang in order to turn from
> hunted
> to hunter. Much to her annoyance the pilot's skills were more than
> capable
Sug: "up to the task" or simply "sufficient"
> as he banked his craft and quickly returned to his 'kill' position on
> Kei's
> tail. She had no choice but to run in the hopes he would provide an
> opening
> for her.
>
> Numerous bolts of energy flew past Kei's vehicle, crimson streaks
sailing
> off into the distance only to disappear into the darkness of space. Her
> vehicle was small, made a pitiful target profile, and was as nimble as
> grasshopper trapped on a hotplate.
...okay, is that a *good* thing, or a *bad* thing?
> She evaded the hail of fire using
> her own
> considerable skills picked up from years of dealing with people
trying to
> kill her.
>
> The bolts drew closer as the enemy pilot began to take her
> maneuverability
> into account. Worse, Kei knew that if she remained in open space, and
> if her
> foe had a halfway decent targeting system, it would eventually lock
> onto her
> and all of the dodging in the universe wouldn't do her a bit of good.
She
> used her own defenses to pivot her ball turret around so she could
> retaliate
> while fleeing. Unfortunately, the enemy fighter easily dodged her
pitiful
> return fire, his wings continuing to spit red death at her. The action
> would
> only buy her a few extra seconds. She needed to come up with an
alternate
> solution. While she couldn't negate the pilot's skills, she could deal
> with
> the targeting system.
>
> The Bouncer rumbled as Kei made a power dive and headed toward the
pylons
> that hung in space above the moon. More lances of energy peppered space
> around her. With their change of position, instead of disappearing
> into the
> void, they continued onward until they struck one of the rotating
> pylons in
> space, melting the hull and causing the exterior to bubble where they
> hit.
>
> So much for hoping this guy had a code against firing among civilians.
> Kei
> would have preferred to not fly among the station and numerous ships
> surrounding it like flies around carrion, but it was her only hope. If
> the
> enemy pilot had her in open space for more than a minute, she was
> dead. It
> was his fault for pulling the trigger. The only thing she was guilty
> of was
> trying to survive.
Can't argue with her, there.
> Within seconds Kei found herself among the thickest part of the ships
and
> station. Some of the pilots of the ships, upon discovering someone was
Sug: "the thickest (most dense) collection (swarm) of ships and
station structures."
> opening fire in their area, chose to pull away from the station. Not
> bothering to clear their flight paths, they immediately began
> colliding with
> one another, causing more damage amongst their number than the lasers
> could
> have done in twice the time.
>
> Kei was in the middle of the veritable flotilla, continuing to duck and
> weave both enemy fire and the increasing number of ships that were
> trying to
> flee. With that kind of chaos, there was no way the targeting system
> could
> lock down on her. The enemy pilot would have to blow her out of the sky
> using only hand eye coordination, and do it while weaving among the
ships
> himself.
"hand-eye" (or is it hand/eye?)
> Unfortunately, her opponent remained on her tail despite her evasive
> maneuvering. The best she could manage was increasing the distance
> between
> them slightly. And the laser fire drew closer, despite the range,
Sug: "...stuck to her tail (and a nice tail it is, too!)"
"...manage was to open the range slightly..."
"...kept drawing closer, regardless, though..."
>though
> every stray shot seemed to hit something in or around the Bouncer.
"in" the Bouncer?
> More
> ships blew up, and the refueling station suffered more damage as
> chunks of
> it floated off into space. Kei upped the assessment of her opponent from
> pretty good to experienced combat flying. It was a good thing she had
Sug: "...from 'pretty good' to 'combat experience.'"
> a lot
> as well, or she would have been atomized by now.
>
> She followed up the side of each pylon, hugging the surface in order to
> avoid a target lock. She jumped from one to the next in the hopes of
> shaking
> her pursuer loose and turning the tables on him. Still he persisted,
> following her while maintaining his high rate of fire. There was no
> way even
> a normal Mustang could blast away like that without depleting its energy
> banks. It had to have been modified for heavy combat, indicating
> whoever had
> come after her had money as well as top notch training. It would
> narrow down
> the list of potential suspects once she got rid of her pursuer, because
> whoever had sicced this bastard on her was going to pay.
>
> After finishing with the latest pylon, Kei suddenly found herself
> clear of
> the station's structure. She was unable to circle back around due to
> several
> crashes that had occurred in space since the dog fight began. The
"dogfight" in this context.
> obstructions forced her away from the protection of the station and the
> cover it provided. The Mustang remained hot on her tail as she emerged
> from
> the ensuing conflagration.
Sug: "emerged into clear space."
> Aware there was no hope of outrunning him, Kei gritted her teeth as she
> tried the old but effective trick of speeding up, then slowing down in
> the
> hopes her foe would pass her by and she could find herself dogging him
> from
> behind.
This whole paragraph could go, I think. The next one can almost
stand
alone.
> She increased her velocity, hoping to trick him into thinking she
> was going to hit her afterburners, then used the retro-jets to arrest
her
> speed. Instead of shooting past, her foe reacted as though he had
> expected
> the move and cut his speed almost as quickly. Kei found the distance
> between
> them cut by two thirds, and worsening by the second.
Sug: "...range cut by... closing by the..."
> Suddenly her foe began to drop back. Kei smiled as she figured he must
> have
> hit the limit on his engines, perhaps overheating them, or foolishly
> draining them of too much energy if he had rigged his engine and guns
> to the
> same power supply. That was the way most people rewired things in
> order to
> increase their firepower.
But not Kei, apparently. I wonder how she does it?
> The joy at what appeared to be an advantage disappeared as she saw two
"Her joy..."
> previously unnoticed cylinders detach themselves from the fighter and
> speed
> forward, orange plumes of fire spitting from their rears. It only took
> her a
> moment to realize the distancing was intentional. He had wanted enough
> room
Sug: "...opening range was inentional."
> for the missiles' independent targeting systems to lock on her before
> sending them into her oversized ball.
How... Freudian. Or Woody Allenian.
> This was bad. They had to have been seekers of some kind, and given the
> quality of the equipment used against her so far, probably damn good
> ones.
> She didn't have any type of countermeasures in the Bouncer, other than
> 'move
> quickly back and forth and make them miss'.
That's not a countermeasuer, that's just more maneuvering.
> Or scraping them off something, as she saw the giant metal containers
> coming
"..off on something... looming ahead of her."
> up in front of her. It was about time she had a bit of good luck. She
had
> shot away from the station at just the right angle to be heading in the
> direction of the fuel reserves.
This is going to be loud, isn't it? Well, except for that whole
"in
space, no one can hear you explode" thing...
> The missiles bore down on her, correcting their course as fast as their
> sensors could react to her movements and closing fast. The only thing
"...her, following her manuevers and closing fast."
> truly
> going in her favor was that her opponent had stopped firing for fear of
> shooting down his own missiles. She juked and wove, making them pass
> her by
Sug: "...forcing them to overshoot once..."
> once before they arced and returned to their former trajectory. Their
> arcs
> seemed to be a touch wide. Perhaps they were using Falvaian Systems.
> Those
> always had wide arcs when course correcting. That could only help her
> plan.
>
> The container became increasingly larger in the front viewport, until it
> took up nearly the whole thing. She was almost there. She wanted the
> timing
> to be just right. She had to be right on top of it....
>
> At the last second, Kei veered to the left, practically losing her
> paint job
> as she came incredibly close to striking the container. But she pulled
> out
> in time, Bouncer groaning in protest at her rough treatment of it. The
"that's THE Bouncer, to you."
> missiles followed, one after another.
But couldn't quiiiiite match the turn...
> There was a tremendous explosion as the contents of the container
> exploded,
> taking both missiles with it. Kei gave a cheer at her ingenuity in
losing
> the persistent buggers. She had escaped death once again with a smile
> on her
> face and a cheer on her lips. She was going to get seriously drunk
> when this
> was over with.
Sigh. Fighter Pilot Rule One: Always Check Six.
Rule Two: Never Forget Rule One.
> Lights of red cut across her path. Kei darted out of the way, but a
> couple
> glanced off the side of the Bouncer. They only inflicted the barest of
> superficial damage, but it was enough to make Kei curse at her
jubilation
> and forgetting that the craft that had fired the missiles was still
> trying
> to kill her. The error had almost cost Kei her life, and might yet if
she
> couldn't figure out how to down him before he did the same to her.
>
> Again she tried outmaneuvering her foe, realizing it was only a
matter of
> time before he got lucky again and hit something more vital on her ship.
> There had to be some way to lose him. There had to be.
>
> An explosion lit the darkness of space. Kei thought at first it was the
> refueling station, the damage from the dogfight taking its toll.
> Instead she
> saw that it came from the direction of the exploding container. That
> made no
> sense. There had only been two missiles, and both had hit the same
> target.
> Even if there had been a third, it would have detonated long ago.
>
> She spared a glance and noted it was the container next to the one
> that had
> already exploded. That was odd, since the distances involved should have
> prevented 'birthing', a term used when volley of missiles was fired
at an
I believe the technical term is actually "fratricide," but I'm
unsure
if it applies in this context.
> opponent and the detonation of one would cause those next to it to
> explode,
> which in turn caused others to explode, and so on until none were left.
>
> Then there was a third explosion from the container next to the one
> that had
> gone up. It took Kei a second to figure out what was causing the rash of
> detonations: the umbilical connecting them to one another. The fires
"...the umbilicals daisy-chaining the containers together."
> must
> have been traveling through the connecting cable and causing them to
> blow up
> in order. They should have had automatic safety features to cut the
> cables
> loose when one of the containers exploded, and manual overrides on the
> station failing that. Of course, something might have gone wrong at the
> station, and the safeties were out of commission. Not at all
"...were obviously out..."
> impossible
> considering how shot up the Mustang had left them. And there were all
> of the
> ship collisions would only have worsened things.
And all that high-velocity flying debris.
> The fourth in the line went up. It was then the plan occurred to Kei.
The
> containers had proven useful once before. They would do so again in
their
> death knells. She mentally calculated the timing between explosions,
Death "throes," maybe?
> which
> was even. Yes, that might do it. If only the enemy pilot was
> concentrating
> solely on her rather than his surroundings.
>
> Kei changed direction again and headed to the line of containers. The
> Mustang followed close, continuing to spit fire at her. She could still
> evade that, though not by much. She had to lure him in just the right
> spot.
> The only way to do that was to give him the perfect target. Her
window of
> opportunity would be brief, and if the safeties activated and cut
> loose the
> umbilicals, it was all over for her. But it was a chance she had to
take.
> Her only one.
>
> She saw the next one in line explode just when she thought it would. Her
> timing was on. She took a deep breath and spun under the next container,
> coming up high on the other side and heading off in a straight line.
> Just as
> she hoped, the Mustang pilot followed in her exact path rather than
> trying
> to anticipate where she was going and taking a different way. Now all
she
> had to do was pray he didn't hit her before the final part of her plan
> came
> into effect.
>
> It didn't as the container the Mustang flew under detonated and the
> fighter
> disappeared into the red and yellow cloud of fiery death. Kei gave a
> whooping war cry at the success of her plan. Only an expert like her
> could
> have timed it right while dodging heavy enemy fire that she was
unable to
> return. She was really going to rub Yuri's face in it when she
I'd drop the "unable to return" line.
> returned to
> the Lovely Angel. And maybe her expertise would catch Killgore's
> attention
> and they could go out or something.
Geez. In a guy, we'd call this "thinking with the wrong head."
What
do we call the equivalent behavior in women, I wonder?
> Suddenly Kei's ship was rocked by a laser blast. More crimson bolts shot
> past, barely missing her Bouncer. Kei once again took evasive action
> trying
> to look behind her to see who was firing.
>
> It was the Mustang. Somehow it had survived the explosion, but just
> barely.
> It was scorched black, and she could see a good portion of its
> exterior was
> melted. One of the wings was half the size it had been before, and
>fires
"half its original size"
> spurted from its fuselage in various places. It was a miracle it could
> still
> fly, and looked like it would blow up or disintegrate at any minute.
Only
> one laser was still functional, but its pilot seemed determined to
> carry out
> his assignment and end Kei's life no matter what.
Hmmm... one laser. But what about the dual nose-mounted plasma
cannon?
> "I've had enough of this!" Kei snarled, changing her flight path so
> she was
> heading directly at the Mustang. She pivoted her ball turret to the
front
> and returned fire, now that they were on even ground. She was going to
> take
> this persistent jerk down no matter what.
Sug: "..turning to meet the Mustang on a head-on trajectory. She
trained her ball turrent forward... even terms."
> Both ships flew unerringly at one another, firing repeatedly but missing
> since each anticipating the other would veer off in another direction.
"each was anticipating..."
> Kei
> grit her teeth. Now it was game of chicken, the first one to turn away
> would
> probably end up dead. Well it wouldn't be her. She had never lost a
> game of
> chicken with anyone. The opposition always turned away since they lacked
> Kei's nerves. She'd stay true and wait for her opponent to turn and
> reveal
> some vital part of his ship. She just had to anticipate which way it
> was and
> nail him.
"Well, it... away, since... wait for her opponent to flinch..."
"...anticipate his turn and nail him..."
Unfortunately, she didn't realize that her enemy was already
dead, his
fingers holding the throttle wide open and trigger down from one last
muscle spasm...
> Only he didn't change course, he kept heading straight for her as
well. A
> small line of sweat decorated Kei's brow. Most pilots would have
> turned away
> at this point, both ships speeding toward one another, poised on the
> brink
> of mutual annihilation. This guy had nerves, to be sure.
No, he's just DEAD already. I'm telling you, never play chicken
with a
corpse.
> They were almost at the point of no return. Kei concentrated. She
> would only
> get one shot before he flashed past her. She had to make it count. She
> held
> herself steady. Waiting for it. The moment was coming up.
>
> And then it was past. Kei's eyes goggled as she spun the ship to the
> right.
> It turned just enough to strike the edge of the nearly broken wing.
> That it
> was in such bad shape and barely hanging on was the only reason her
> Bouncer
> wasn't destroyed on contact, and instead only lost 90% of its
maneuvering
> jets and all of its communications gear.
She flinched. Heh.
> The Mustang fared worse, the collision proving too much for its battered
> form to hold together.
"...form to withstand."
>Its wing tore off, causing an explosion to rip
> through the side of the spacecraft. The rest went up in a ball of red
and
> white smoke and pieces of debris were hurled off into deep space.
>
> Kei took note of it in the back of her mind. Her ship's condition was
> almost
> as bad. The breaking jets were a pale joke of what they were supposed
> to be,
SP: Braking.
> and she was moving at top speed. Systems were crashing, and she didn't
> like
> the way the fuel converter on her ship was acting up. It displayed
bright
> red warning signs that it could explode at any time.
>
> Under ordinary circumstances, she would have bailed out, but the
> Bouncer was
> too small to afford an escape pod. Her communications were down, so
there
Sug: "too small to carry/mount an..."
> was no way to send an SOS, and waiting to get picked up was too risky.
> Besides, she thought there were going to be plenty of SOSs to go
> around as
> she caught sight of the refueling station breaking up from all the
> damage it
> had taken. There weren't enough rescue ships in the entire system to
take
> care of that mess.
Somewhere, Goulet is getting that "stepped on my grave" feeling.
> There was only one chance left; land on the only habitable planet in the
> system: Myce. At least it was her intended destination in the first
> place.
> Now all she had to do was find somewhere flat and hope her ship rolled
> better than it bounced.
<whimper>
> xxxxxxxx
>
> Kei felt her stomach lurch in conjunction with the movement. She
turned a
> deeper shade of green and felt the metallic taste of bile rise to her
> throat. She mentally noted that this form of travel was the worst, and
> prayed to all the gods that she never had to have such torture inflicted
> upon her again.
>
> The taxi driver looked over his shoulder to the passenger in the back
and
> said, "Hey, lady, don't even think of hurling on the backseat. Bad
enough
> you did it all over the outside of the door. I don't need to
> reupholster the
> interior as well."
I suspected as much.
> "I'll be fine," Kei shot back, popping her fifth anti-gastric capsule
> since
"anti-gastric"? Umm... ITYM "anti-nausea."
> the ride started. The urge to vomit passed, though she still felt
queasy.
> Rolling on the inside of a giant ball, like a redheaded hamster in a
> plastic
> bubble,
Now *there's* an image. If Kei had seen me rotfl over that, I'd be
puree'd pasta right now...
> for fifteen kilometers tended to make even the most cast iron of
> stomachs a little shaky. At least the Almoth Plain had lived up to its
> reputation as being "The Flattest Place in all of Myce." It was the only
> thing that had saved her when she made planetfall. She had slowed her
> speed
> enough to keep from burning up on reentry, but there was no way she
could
> slow down enough to land safely. Had the Bouncer been anything other
than
> round, she probably would have ended up a smear decorating the
> landscape. As
> it was, she only left the contents of her stomach, as well as the broken
> remnants of the ruined Bouncer, behind. It was turning out to be...
> well, a
> normal day for Kei's life as a Lovely Angel. No matter where she went,
> trouble, and a body count, followed.
.... I don't believe it, I can't find any wisecracks to make.
> And the day wasn't over yet.
>
> She had some measure of good luck. Someone had flown out to the
desert to
> see what had plummeted through the atmosphere and picked her up. After
> leaving her outside Myce (her old hometown, and capital of the planet
> bearing the same name), she picked up a taxi and headed for her
> meeting with
> the hacker, Mikael.
>
> As Kei headed to the city, and dealt with her upset stomach, she
> considered
> current events, like who was trying to kill her this time. There was no
> shortage of people who wanted her dead: criminals, terrorists,
overthrown
> dictators, religious zealots, evil masterminds, angry wives and
> girlfriends
> of some of the guys she dated, even her superiors now and then. But this
> felt different in a way she couldn't describe. Years of being a
> troubleshooter made her listen to her instincts, and she was willing
> to go
> with them rather than logic. Sometimes it got her into trouble, as Yuri
> would enthusiastically point out, but sometimes it saved her life.
>
> How did the pilot know she was heading toward Myce? While it could
> have been
> coincidence, perhaps someone hired to put a hit on her and he happened
"...on her who had gotten lucky, she doubted..."
>to
> come across her, she doubted it. Only Yuri, Iria, Bob, and Killgore
> should
> have known her destination. She would have trusted the first three
> with her
> life, so that left the last one suspect. But that didn't make sense. Why
> would Killgore save Iria and want to join forces, just to kill them?
He's playing some deeper, multi-layered game, would be my guess.
> Perhaps there was some leak on the Zeiram end. The guy in charge of
> him was
> a genius, and he was working for the Tormand Confederation. Had they
> somehow
> anticipated her destination, or tracked her? Had she been chosen for
> elimination since she was on her own and theoretically easy prey?
> There were
> too many questions and no way to get any of the answers. It served to
> upset
> her temper as well as her stomach.
>
> As the scenery passed by, Kei concentrated on it and quickly found the
> warmth of her homecoming dampened. Originally, she had been excited at
> the
> prospect of returning to Myce for the first time in over fifteen
> years. It
> was the first place in her life she had truly called home, with Iria
> as her
> defacto mother and Bob her sage (and bodiless) uncle. Many years were
So, when people say "Bob's yer Uncle!" to Kei, they mean it
literally? (:)
> spent
> learning fun things, like firearms, explosives, unarmed combat, and
> how to
> drive at excessive speeds. It was a blissful childhood, and she couldn't
> have asked for more, even if she went on to outgrow the place in the
end.
What, she didn't learn about sex on Myce?
What? I'm just asking. Although I wonder who had "the talk"
with her
-- Bob or Iria? Probably Fujikuro, given Kei's luck.
> Unfortunately, the reality of what passed by the window failed to
> match the
> memories of Kei's youth. Myce had changed in her absence and not for the
> better. When Kei had first arrived on the planet as a penniless street
> orphan that had only lived on the backwater world of Taowajan, she had
> been
> awed by the magnificence and splendor of a megalopolis that had
> exceeded her
> wildest dreams. Everything had been bright and fantastic, all full of
> vibrancy and hope. The city had been like a living, thriving organism,
> and
> the people residing in it symbiotes that only fed its power.
Nice turn of phrase.
> Now the gild from the crown jewel of her youth had worn away. Tedan
> Tippedai
> had been the major business that had supplied the off world money
> responsible for the majority of the city's wealth. When they
> eventually went
> belly up from the Zeiram debacle, no other major off world corporation
> had
> been interested in using Myce as their headquarters, Zeiram having
> made the
> planet a business pariah. The loss of Tedan Tippedai hadn't been
apparent
Rather, the *effects* of the loss.
> when Kei departed her home for good, but now a decade later, its effect
> could be seen wherever one looked.
>
> The buildings looked dirty and remnants of garbage could be seen in once
> spotless streets. People wore sedate clothing that matched their dark
and
> dour moods. Hunched over bodies seemed to bear the weight of the
> heavens on
> their shoulders, and their gaits held not a wisp of pride. Even the
> air felt
> flat and stale.
>
> There were some places that seemed to hold onto a lingering sense of
> hope,
> sporadic oasis in the middle of a desert of depression, but even they
Plural of "oasis" is "oases,"... I think.
> showed
> signs of having been worn down with age. While the city wouldn't die,
its
> indigenous population had enough resources to see to that, it had
> suffered a
> wound that made the whole become jaundiced and weakened. It was
> painful to
> see.
>
> Kei cut off that line of thought. She was here on business, not vacation
> reminiscing about the old homestead. There was a rendezvous to keep with
> that hacker Iria wanted her to feel out. It was supposed to be at a
(after reaching the end): "Feel out." Yeeeeah.
bar
> called the Olgarion, named after some mythical figure from the days when
> Myce was a dead hunk of rock being transformed into a proper colony.
> It had
> something to do about a man saving a town from a flood by building a dam
> with only a sledgehammer or something. Kei had paid little attention
> to such
> tall tales, preferring to make people talk about her own actions.
Words fail me.
> Well, they
> did, just not in the way she had envisioned growing up.
I suppose the novelty of being one of the two most feared women in
Known Space does pale after a while.
> "How much farther?" she grilled the driver.
>
> "Another ten minutes," he said just a touch too fast.
>
> Kei didn't like the way he gave his estimate. There was something off
> about
> it. It was too thought out. Even after more than a decade, she was
Sug: "...estimate -- it was too pat. Even after..."
> familiar
> enough with the city to have a general idea of where the bar was
located.
> This road was not the quickest way to it in her day. "We are taking
> the most
> direct route, aren't we?" she prodded.
>
> "Of course," the driver assured her.
>
> Kei fished her ID out of her belt pocket with one hand and her pistol
> from
> its holster with the other. She waved the ID against the clear safety
> shield
> between her and the driver. "This identifies me as an official
> troubleshooter with the 3WA. This," she tapped the barrel of the gun
> against
> the safety shield. "Gives me the power to shoot trouble. Giving me the
> runaround is a sure way to cause trouble."
A nice logical syllogism: Runaround=trouble=troubleshooting.
> "Silly me. I think I know a more direct route," the driver said with a
> touch
> of panic in his voice as he made a U-turn in the middle of the road,
> hopping
> lanes. The abrupt action made several hover cars in the other lane to
hit
> their breaks, causing a pile up in the middle of the busy highway.
"...forced several... to make panic stops, causing..."
> "Not my fault," Kei muttered from the back seat, deciding tacitly to not
> look out the rear window. It only proved her theory that on any
> planet, taxi
> drivers were all crooked and nuts.
Well, the Interplanetary Taxicab Drivers' Association *is*
headquartered in NYC...
> Within minutes they pulled up to a building with the bright neon lights
> surrounding the name "Olgarion." She opened the door and exited the
> vehicle.
> She started to go for her money card when the driver gave a panicked,
> "Nevermind, glad to be of service, officer." And pulled away, kicking
> up a
> cloud of putrefied air from his ill-maintained exhaust system. Kei was
> left
> coughing in the pus green cloud for a minute.
>
> "Idiot," she grumbled once she was over the coughing fit. At least she
> didn't have to pay for the ride.
>
> Now that Kei had arrived at the rendezvous point, she gave it a closer
> look.
> The bright red neon lights surrounding the doorway leading to the
> interior
> were blinding. She had to squint past them to see the crumbling
> edifice of
> the two-story structure that housed the bar. It was in as run down
> shape as
> the rest of the neighborhood, but at least they went to the effort of
> masking the fact with the lighting.
>
> Cries of grinding metal and blowtorches came from within. Kei
> recognized the
> sounds of the construction agony as belonging to the latest music fad to
> pass through this arm of the galaxy 'Death Metal' in the most literal
galaxy: "Death Metal" in...
> sense
> of the word. The noise (which was all it was) was people destroying
> metal in
> a variety of ways. Oh, its supposed 'higher meaning' was the
> representation
> of the destruction of modern society on the basis it was a bloated
> mass of
> dying flesh that needed to be put out of its misery, but it was
literally
> composed of 'musicians' hammering, ripping apart, and otherwise
> destroying
> pieces of metal. To Kei, it was the surest sign there were no more
worthy
> musical art forms left to be discovered in the universe.
More proof that you should never let a liberal arts/polisci
major near
a recording booth.
>
> As Kei approached, she passed by a couple rows of hovercycles lined up
> outside of the bar. They were massive vehicles, all customized with
> additions to promote speed and power. Each bore an identical insignia on
> them: a blue star hovering around a brown and white planet. Something
Don't planets usually hover around stars? (:)
> about
> that tickled at Kei's memory. Where had she seen it before? It probably
> belonged to some local gang she had seen growing up, and that was why
> it had
> registered as being familiar.
>
> Dismissing the unusual symbol from her mind, Kei entered the bar. As she
> passed through the entryway, she moved between by a pair of seated
> bouncers,
> one human, the other a robot, standing within easy striking distance
> of the
> door. Both had inhumanly built physiques, one sculpted by weight and
> chemical enhancement, the other by fusion cutters and machined parts.
Ah, a dirty pair (note the lack of capitalization).
> Posted by the door was a sign that indicated there was a cover charge.
> Kei
> started to go for her money card again when the human saw what she was
> doing
> and said, "It's ladies night. You can get in for free."
It might be "Ladies' Night." Posessive. Also, your capping is
different below.
> "Wednesday is Ladies Night," the robot corrected.
>
> "For girls as attractive as this, it's always ladies night." He gave
> her a leer.
>
> Whatever pleasant thoughts Kei had regarding the hulk were stomped
out by
> the smile of purely golden teeth. She hated gaudy features like that,
and
> teeth that really did gleam always made her feel creepy. They were too
> artificial.
<hides his box of Crest Whitening Strips>
> She thanked him politely and made her way to the bar, passing by several
> tables full of raucous men clinking bottles filled with some alcoholic
> beverage together as they toasted to some "bitch named Haruka." As Kei
Insert obligatory Uranus joke here. No, not *there*...
> strolled past, she noticed the rough-looking men all wore jackets with
> insignias identical to the ones on the bikes. She also noticed the dance
> floor, such as it was, filled with numerous others with similar
decals or
> tattoos. It appeared it was Biker Night as well as Ladies' Night.
Which adds up to Brawl Night.
> Since she was in a place that offered drinks, Kei drifted toward the
> bar to
> knock back a few. It was a tradition, one she had no intention of
> breaking.
> She went up to the bar, saw what condition the seats were in, and
decided
> she'd remain standing while she drank. With any luck, her contact
> wouldn't
> show up until the eighth drink or so.
>
> The bartender finished serving a couple at the opposite end of the
> bar, then
> walked over to Kei. "What'll it be?"
>
> Kei considered that. She looked at some of the bottles that lined the
> wall
> behind the bar. One in a solid container caught her eye, and she
> pointed to
> it. "That one called Paint Thinner sounds interesting. I'll have some of
> that."
>
> A curious expression passed over the bartender's face. He turned in the
> direction Kei was pointing. "Oops, that really is a bottle of paint
> thinner." He removed it and placed it out of sight under the bar.
I saw that coming, then decided it was too obvious. This is NOT
a good
bar...
> "How about some Johnny Walker Fuchsia?" That flavor of whiskey was
one of
<snort>
> Kei's favorites. Actually, all three hundred and ten flavors were
> favorites
> of hers. It was hard to believe at one time there had only been Red,
> Black,
> Gold and Blue labels. Time and technology had come up with other forms
> of it
> since then, each more potent than the last. Fuchsia, the latest and
> strongest one, was the best yet in Kei's estimation.
Fuchsia? FUCHSIA? Great Googly Moogly, man, Real Men don't drink
booze with names like THAT.
> The bartender considered that. "You might be better off with the paint
> thinner."
Flashback: Old Warner Bros cartoons, where the cowboy asks for
REDEYE
XXXX, and the bartender mixes the drink using long steel tongs, heavy
leather gauntlets, and a welding facemask.
> "Hit me," she insisted.
>
> A hand fell on her shoulder, spun her around, and a fist connected
> with her
> jaw.
You'd think she'd've learned not to hand out straight lines like
that.
> Kei went sailing to the ground, her body colliding with a couple of the
> stools and sending them careening away as she crashed into the alcohol
> --and
> other unnamable substances-- sodden floor. She had rolled reflexively
> with
> the blow, but enough force had still gotten through to cross her eyes
and
> make the room lurch.
>
> As she rolled over onto her back, she realized her assailant hadn't
> moved in
> for the kill. When her foes did that, it tended to mean they were either
> very stupid (but strong), something had interrupted their attack (but
> were
> still strong) or were going to shoot their mouth off and brag (usually
> about
> how strong they were).
I sense a trend.
> Kei recovered enough of her wits to see the largest of the bikers
looking
> down at her in contempt. The smug look on his face told her he was in
the
> latter category. That was good. Braggarts tended to be the first
> choice as
> well.
>
> Kei decided to help him along, as well as buy herself time and find
> out why
> he had attacked her. The last was mostly just to satisfy her
> curiosity. The
> reason didn't matter. She was going to kick his ass no matter what.
"What
> was that for?"
"Well, you *asked* for it. It's a tradition, in this bar."
> "Revenge, of course!" the man snarled.
Okay, I was wrong. I suppose that was too easy.
> Kei looked him over more closely. He was tall. He was bald. He was
> ugly. He
> had tattoos. He had big muscles that looked like that could produce
Death
> Metal music without any tools. And his breath was just awful. "You
> used to
> date my partner, dumped her when you fell for me, and I turned you
down?"
> she guessed. He was the sort of guy Yuri's taste ran towards: pure
loser.
The Angels need marriage counseling. Or whatever passes for
partner
counseling in non-romantic relationships.
> "Of course not! I'm Nick 'Big Man' Kincaid."
>
> Kei shrugged helplessly. "Big Man is a nickname used by half the bad
> guys in
> the galaxy. Give me something more to work with."
>
> "How dare you not remember me!" The man slammed his fist down on the
bar,
> cracking the top.
>
> "I've arrested a lot of people over the years. It's hard to keep
track of
> them all," Kei explained as she rose to her feet.
It's easier to kill them. The dead ones don't (usually) come back.
> The man was in an epilepsy. "You arrested me five years ago outside of
> Valencia for smuggling!"
"an epilepsy"? I suspect you meant he was apoplectic, or
verging on
apoplexy.
> Kei scratched her head. She had busted lots of smugglers over the years.
> Valencia? She remembered that planet. Nothing bad and highly
> destructive had
> happened there when she and Yuri busted up the smuggling ring. It was
> rare
> that a job didn't besmirch her good name Now the symbol had clicked.
Missing period.
> The
> gang had been using it back then. She remembered this overly large
moron.
> Barely.
>
> "Okay, you were the ringleader, liked working with your fists," Kei
> supplied.
>
> "That's right," Kincaid said, placing his hands on his hips and
laughing.
> "I'm the best fighter in this arm of the galaxy. And I've only
> improved over
> the years, waiting for my shot at revenge and beating to death the
> bitch who
> threw me in prison to rot."
You know, she's not THAT hard to find. You weren't looking to
darned hard.
> Kei shook her head. "The only thing I remember about your fighting
> abilities
> is that you had a hole in your defense, and I took you down like
> this!" Kei
> lashed out with her foot, planting it between his legs.
Too. Easy.
> Kincaid looked down at his crotch as Kei withdrew her foot and
> smirked. He
> then continued laughing.
>
> Kei was left staring in open-mouthed wonder.
>
> He bellowed even harder. "Stupid girl. The joke's on you. I had my
gonads
> removed."
He's ADMITTING that, in front of his whole gang? <boggle>
> "You had your gonads removed and you think the joke's on me?"
Well, as long as he hit the sperm bank *first*....
> Kincaid's laughter died abruptly, as though he suddenly realized
> something.
> Something bad, that he couldn't undo. His rage doubled and he took on
> a far
> more dangerous stance. "Time to bleed to death, bitch."
It took him this long to figure it out? Oy...
> "I hope you had your internal organs removed too, because they're the
> only
> thing that can protect you from this." She went for the weapon in her
> holster. She just pulled the sidearm free when the hand of one of the
> other
> bikers flanking her lashed out and something blurred in front of Kei.
The
> front half of the gun inexplicably fell to the floor, leaving her
> holding a
> now useless hunk of metal.
Uh oh.
> "Laser wire," the man bragged. "It can go through anything."
Ah. Not good.
> A confused look crossed his eyes as he tilted to one side, then
> inexplicably
> fell to the floor. Kei stared at him curiously, then saw the reason
> for his
> fall: his leg had been severed at the shin, the wound neatly
> cauterized by
> the laser wire.
>
> "I told him he needed more than a couple of weeks practice with that,"
> Kincaid said tiredly, while the man writhed on the floor in pain,
> screaming
> about his leg.
ROTFL!
And people say *nunchaka* are dangerous for the inexperienced....
> Kei frowned. That had been her only weapon. Now she would have to do
> it the
> hard way, hand-to-hand. This guy might have thought he was hot stuff,
Waitwaitwait! Kei without a backup gun, or a holdout piece? Okay,
granted that her uniform leaves little... very little... okay, *no*
room, you win, never mind.
> but
> Kei had been in more fights than she could count where she only had
> her body
> to rely on.
Not going there. Too easy by far.
> Kincaid held out his hands. Two of his cohorts handed up a pair of black
> pieces of metal, each a foot long. Touching a stud at the base, bands of
> electricity arced between the tips.
"pieces" = "rods"?
> "I thought you said you were practicing using your hand-to-hand
skills in
> order to beat me to death," Kei protested.
>
> "I've expanded my repertoire." He banged the sticks together,
producing a
> larger spark.
>
> Kei grimaced. If it was this moron alone, she could handle him.
Probably.
> She hadn't seen how good he was yet. But he had at least twenty thugs
> with
> him, not counting the one that had dismembered himself (well,
technically
> Kincaid had dismembered himself too, but it wouldn't impair his fighting
> ability). Her best bet would be to get the weapons away from him and use
> them on his lackeys, unless the sticks were keyed to his vital signs or
> something. Then they'd only be in the way. Too bad she hadn't had that
> drink. She sure could have used one now. Maybe even a half dozen. It was
> looking like it would be a long night.
In a civilized bar, at this point the barkeep would be standing
up from
behind the bar with a scattergun, yelling "Take it OUTSIDE!"
> Just as Kei prepared herself for the onslaught, a loud roar came from
the
> entrance. The roar grew louder, making the bottles behind the bar
> rattle as
> a hovercycle burst through the aperture, its passage knocking over the
> pair
> of bouncers who had been making certain they saw nothing of the fight
> about
> to take place inside the club.
But, that would have ruined this Dramatic Entrance.
> The hovercycle charged in like it was on a race track, bowling over
> tables
> and bikers alike. Kincaid barely leapt over the bar in time to avoid
> being
> mown down by three hundred pounds of metal traveling at a high rate of
> speed.
>
> The cycle, which Kei identified as a B-1300, came to a stop not more
> than a
> half meter from her. The air kicked up from its hover jets brushed
across
> her boots. It was either a sign of daredevil skill or blind luck he
> hadn't
> either wiped out entering or ran Kei down.
>
> The driver held out a hand. "Hop on!" he shouted over the still running
> jets.
Supressing hentai wisecrack AGAIN. But I bet she's got him in
the sack
before this chapter ends.
> Now that he was no more than a meter away, Kei got a good look at the
> driver. He was young, probably about twenty, a touch slender, but not
too
> skinny, and appeared on the tall side, though it was difficult to be
> certain
> since he was sitting astride the hover cycle. What really drew her
> eyes was
> his face. He was a very good-looking man, with a sort of roguish charm
> and a
> killer smile that reminded her of Killgore's.
(after reaching end): Oh. Well, yes, that makes sense...
>Despite the gravity of the
> situation and the potential injuries he could have suffered had he an
> ounce
> less of piloting skill, he appeared he was having fun. In many ways it
> mirrored how Kei would have been had their positions been reversed. He
> was
> her kind of guy, if a bit younger than her.
Sug: "...if a bit young." If she's thinking of 20yos as
"young" she's
already gone into Middle Age Mode without realzing it...
> Kei accepted the hand and hopped on. It wasn't every day a damsel in
> distress was rescued by a handsome knight on his faithful mount, even
> if the
> knight was dressed in leather and his noble steed was manufactured by a
> company whose primary specialty was household appliances. She'd settle
> for
> the handsome part, which was the thing that interested her the most.
Hey, it works for the Four Motorcyclists of the Apocalypse.
> In a feat of skill that made even Kei gasp, her knight didn't bother
> turning
> the hovercycle around, he simply reversed directions, though he did
> consent
> to peering over his shoulder to make certain he didn't crush them both
> against the walls framing the doorway.
Perhaps "he did deign to to peer..."?
> They cleared the opening with casual ease. This guy must have been
> conceived
> as well as born on a bike. That was the only explanation for how he
> could be
> so good.
"That's what my parents tell me. Want a demonstration?"
(after end): Okay, probably not. But then, Iria wasn't exactly
sedate
even in her 20s, or 30s I bet.
> "You're a hell of a driver!" Kei shouted over the roar of the engine,
all
> the while securing a grip on her rescuer with only one hand high, and
the
> other a good bit lower, though she was careful not to squeeze.
>
> Rather than reacting surprised at her grip, he looked over his shoulder,
> smiling at Kei. "It's one of my three passions."
<sigh> And we're going to find out ALL of them, aren't we?
> Kei couldn't resist the invitation. "What are the other two?"
>
> "They're a secret, but I think they might be of interest to you. Maybe
> you'll find out."
>
> Kei's smile broadened. Young or not, he knew just how to make himself
> interesting while not being too cocky. Either he was a hell of a
> player, or
> being sincere. She vowed to herself to find out which it was before she
> returned to the Lovely Angel.
(after end): I suspect both, methinks.
> She was about to say more when their path was cut off by a number of
> bikers
> speeding in front of them from a side street. Her rescuer reacted by
> darting
> to another side street that was little more than a narrow alleyway. She
> caught a glimpse of the starburst insignias on the hovercycles in
> front of
> them as they speeded away.
>
> "Crap, how'd they get in front of us?" Kei cursed.
>
> "Late arrivals to the party. They were probably radioed by the others
> back
> at the bar." He cut down the alleyway and veered to the left.
As my old Driving Instructor once said: "You may outrun a cop, but you
can't outrace his radio."
> Kei heard the sound of other cycles behind her. She looked over the
> shoulder
> to see the bikers had followed them down the alley. She had hoped they
> would
> take a longer route rather than risk scraping themselves against the
> wall,
> but it appeared they had measure of driving skill as well. Though she
"had some meausure"
> noted
> not as much, as there was now some additional space between them and
> their
> pursuers.
>
> "Think we can lose them?" Kei asked.
>
> "Not on speed alone. I might not think much of the slobs, but
> Kincaid's boys
> have pretty good machines. I'll bet my skill against theirs any day,
> though.
> We'll ditch them."
>
> A laser bolt shot past, well to the left. It hit the front of a
building,
> shattering the glass.
>
> "That'll make things more difficult," the youth worried.
>
> Kei was about to go for her sidearm to return fire, when she
> remembered it
> was still laying on the floor of the bar. "You don't happen to have a
> gun?"
>
> "Not on me. I'd blow my own foot off if I tried to use one. Riding
> bikes I
> know. Shooting firearms is a good way to get me killed."
A decided lack of machismo on this guy. Knows how good he is, and how
good he *isn't,* which is a vital survival skill.
>
> "Shit!" Kei hissed. More laser blasts joined the original as they
> exited the
> alley and hit the open street, giving them some cover for a moment.
> Luckily,
> trying to fire from a hovercycle at another hovercycle, while both were
> moving at high speed, made for poor marksmanship. Still, Kei fretted
they
> might get lucky and a stray shot might either one of them or damage the
> bike.
>
> "There's a gun stowed on the bike to the left of the seat though. It's
> got a
> concealed catch next to the main strut supporting the seat to the
body. I
> assume it still works. I haven't had it out since it was put there."
>
> Kei found the catch in question, her fingers deftly flipping it open and
> finding the handle of the gun. She extracted it from its concealment and
> examined it. An L-18. Designed for sleekness and accuracy rather than
> power
> or quantity. It was still a reliable piece that did what it was
> intended to
> do. It was a dependable, and expensive, choice.
Now *there's* a sensible holdout gun.
> "You can't use a gun but you have one?" Kei asked.
>
> "What can I say? I have an overprotective mother," he quipped,
> despite the situation.
(after end): Yyyyyeah, you could *say* that...
> More lasers flashed past, one nearly singing the hair on Kei's head. She
> twisted in her seat, keeping one hand firmly across her rescuer's chest
> while firing behind them. Her first three shots missed, but the fourth
> one
> struck home, hitting the lead biker right in the head and sending his
> body
> flying. The hovercycle continued forward, stopping only when it
> slammed into
> a building and blew up against a wall.
>
> The rest of the pack, numbering seven, continued firing. Kei noticed
that
> half of them had fixed weapon mounts in the front of their cycles.
> Horrible
> for accuracy, but they could fire at will without worrying about
steering
> with only one hand, and they had hellish firing capacities.
Massive firing rates and little/no ammo concerns.
> With one of their number fallen, the others dodged faster and fired
more.
> Shots went wild, hitting nearly everything in the street save the people
> they were aiming at.
>
> Then a stray shot hit the rear of the hovercycle. Immediately smoke
began
> trailing from the tail and the youth cursed. "That was an engine. We're
> going to lose speed."
*An* engine? A bike with more than one?
> "Shit!" Kei cursed. Better the bike then her, but the odds for the gang
> coming out on top suddenly improved.
"had suddenly"
> She snapped off another trio of shots, conserving her ammunition.
Another
> biker clutched at his wounded shoulder, causing his bike to veer of
> course
> and into a parked car. Both ended up decorating a good portion of the
> pavement.
Sug: "Veer into a parked car"
> "I have an idea," the youth shouted over his shoulder. "Think you can do
> that again?"
>
> Kei looked at her magazine. "Yeah, I should have enough shots left."
>
> He nodded. "Wait until the next turn. Once they turn the corner, all you
> have to do is hit one of them in the lead."
>
> Kei was uncertain of what her rescuer was up to, but put her trust in
> him.
I'd drop the "of"
> She had so far, after all. She didn't like placing her fate in anyone
> other
> than Yuri's hands, but sometimes circumstances left no room for
> preferences.
Sug: "...in anyone else's hands, aside from Yuri, but..."
Nice to see she still trusts her trampy, slutty partner. (:)
> They made it around the next corner. Kei kept her attention riveted
> to what
> was behind her. Once the gang made the corner, she opened up on the
> leader
> of the pack. More shots closed in on her as they found their range, but
> Kei's marksmanship won out, and she nailed the lead biker.
>
> "What now?" she asked.
>
> "Now this!" the man made a sharp turn, nearly causing Kei to go flying
> off
> the cycle. She watched as the riderless hovercycle continued onward,
> crashing into some sort of fuel station.
Of course. This action sequence hasn't had its obligatory Big
Explosion yet.
> There was a tremendous explosion as the vehicle caused a spark that
> ignited
> the fuel. A fireball billowed outward. Kei felt heat wash over, and
"over her"
> saw the
> remainder of the bikers, following too closely to adjust their course,
> consumed in the conflagration.
The Roadkil Cafe special of the day is Barbecue Biker, with a side of
Felon Fries.
> The youth pulled to a stop, surveying their handiwork. "Nice job," he
> complimented.
>
> "You're the one that was driving." Kei swatted him affectionately on his
> shoulder. A guy who kept his cool under pressure. He was becoming more
> interesting by the minute. Once she had concluded her business with the
> hacker, and she was going to conclude it very quickly indeed, she could
> spend with this hunk. And she already had an idea of what she'd like
Spend *what* with him? Time? Money? Sweat?
Kei: "All of the above!"
> to do
> to him.
>
> A hissing sound reached Kei's ears. She looked up the road they were
> on just
> in time to see something black and with a vapor trail heading right
> toward
> them. "Move!" she shouted, tackling her comrade hard enough to take them
> both a good distance from the bike.
Dang, those Mycean mosquitoes are almost as big as Michigan's.
> A second later the missile hit. They were caught at the edge of the
> explosion, but were fortunate in avoiding the shrapnel. The detonation
> continued what inertia started and the pair were blown clear of the
fiery
> wreck.
>
> Once he was able to sit up, Kei's rescuer moaned, "Aw, I liked that
> bike."
>
> "And I like your ass, now move it or you'll lose it!" Kei hauled him
> to his
> feet, trying to spot where the missile had originated. A sinking
> feeling hit
> her stomach as she saw exactly where it had come from. Kincaid and the
> rest
> of his gang had located them. He was in the lead, a missile side car
> attached to his hovercycle, and there were plenty of missiles left in
its
> carriage.
Bikers with missile lanuchers. What's this world *coming* to?
> Kei assessed the situation and the best way out of it. "This way!" The
> tables were turned as she became the savior, shooting open a door to a
> nearby building and kicking it in. It was some sort of clothing store.
> She
> half dragged her companion to a counter, all but throwing him behind
> it as
> she leaped over it after him.
>
> Another explosion came from directly outside the building, throwing
> glass,
> metal, and mortar inside. Luckily the counter shielded them from the
> debris,
> just like Kei had planned.
>
> Kei poked her head over the counter and checked her remaining
ammunition.
> She had expended a lot nailing the last biker, and any reloads were
> scrap,
> along with the bike. A pity they hadn't leaped into a firearm
> emporium. Then
> Ballless Kincaid and his pack of smelly tattooed freaks would be so much
> scorched flesh.
Dangit, never a gun shop around when you need to break into one...
> Kei's companion grabbed her by the arm. "I think I know a way out."
>
> Having no desire to die in a standoff with some chunk of brain dead
> flesh,
> Kei followed. They went toward the back, the younger man leading the
way.
> Roars could be heard from the front as the gang moved in to confirm the
> kill. Within seconds Kei's rescuer found what he was looking for: a back
> exit.
>
> "Even if we get out of here they'll just run us down," Kei said. At
> least in
> the narrower confines of the store the gang couldn't use the superior
> maneuverability of the hovercycles. Of course they could just bring the
> building down around Kei's ears and render the whole thing moot. It
> was not
> one of her better days.
>
> "I know where we are. There's a way out, but we'll have to cross an open
> street," he told her.
>
> Kei sighed. She'd rather die trying to do something than allowing
> herself to
"allow"
> get backed into a corner. She held the gun up for cover. "Lead the way."
>
> He did so, bolting down the back alleyway and out to the adjoining
> street.
> He hesitated for a moment before spotting what he was looking for. He
ran
> down the street toward a building.
>
> Kei's fears were realized as a single hovercycle made a turn around the
> corner and spotted them. Immediately he opened up with a mounted
laser in
> the front while shouting into his radio that he had spotted them.
>
> Kei stopped running and took careful aim. A single shot from her
> pistol took
> him in the head. She doubted she'd get so lucky a second time. Already
> she
> heard the roar of vehicles coming from more than one direction. They
were
> flanking her, which is what she would have done had their positions been
> reversed.
>
> Kei caught up to her rescuer, who had stopped in front of what
> appeared to
> be a hardware store that was closed for the evening. The situation
hadn't
> seemed any different to Kei from the one they had left, but they
> didn't have
> any real options now, since they were in open without any hope of cover.
>
> She brought her pistol up and was about to shoot out the lock when her
> companion said, "Wait!" He pulled a cyberlink from his jacket and
> hooked it
> up to the back of his neck. Now Kei caught a glimpse of the cybernetic
> headjack implanted at the base of his skull. It looked fairly high grade
> from what she could see. Curious, she hadn't thought someone like him
> would
> bother with an implant. He was full of surprises. She only hoped she
> had the
> opportunity to delve into them more deeply.
Oh, is "delve" the word for it, these days? (:)
> The door popped open. He immediately shut it behind them, then led her
> hurriedly inside. He seemed to know where he was going, making a
> beeline for
> the rear of the store.
>
> "How did you do that?" she asked as she found herself being led deeper
> into
> the building.
>
> "I set up the security to this place."
Sug: "For this place"
> "It doesn't seem all that secure if you can just walk in," Kei pointed
> out.
>
> "Every security designer that knows his stuff always puts in a
> backdoor in
> case they need to come in unannounced to beef up security."
Yeah, that's the reason. It's, um, a professional responsibility.
> "Uh huh," Kei said unconvincingly.
>
> As they walked, he began to explain. "This building is owned by Artus
> Millious, one of the largest indigenous businessmen in the city. He
> has, how
> shall we say, some very powerful connections to powerful people, not
> all of
> them legitimate. They're the kind that could eliminate a pesky biker
gang
> with the same effort it takes to rub their noses. Most people know
> that. It
> would be annoying to the Artus if someone was to attack his
"the" Artus?
> establishment.
> Annoying in the way that makes him want to rub his nose. "
>
> There was the sound of an explosion from outside.
>
> "And if said biker gang decides to take their chances and storm the
> place?"
> Kei asked as she brought her gun up.
>
> He kept dragging her along. "Actually there's a secret about this
> place. You
> see, of all of Artus's holdings, this is the only one that loses money."
>
> "And this has a bearing on our situation how?"
Well, it's obviously a front for something else...
> He led Kei to a back office, obviously where the man in charge ran
> things.
> The youth went to a back wall and began feeling around a tasteless light
> fixture that made even Kei recoil. "The reason he keeps this place is
for
> one simple reason: location."
>
> "Because it's on top of a secret armory?" Kei asked hopefully.
One can always hope.
> There was a click and a section of the wall slid away. "It has a secret
> passage that leads to his favorite bordello. It's the only way he can
get
> around without his wife finding out. She's from Lyrnya."
>
> "Oh." Kei now understood the need for secrecy. Lyrnya was a wealthy
> planet,
> and nearly anyone that married off-world came from money. Culturally
they
> took marriage vows seriously. Infidelity was a capital offense, and they
> were quite happy to apply their laws to other planets. Death was usually
> preceded by the removal of certain organs that tended to be
> responsible for
> getting the marriage-breaker into trouble in the first place. Not many
> people married Lyrnyans.
...I guess NOT.
> Kei was led into the secret passageway. The door sealed itself
> automatically
> behind them. Lights flickered on, revealing a staircase carved from
stone
> leading downward. A foul odor wafted up from deeper within.
>
> "It smells like something died down here." Kei pinched her nose shut.
>
> "As an additional security precaution, the passageway leads to the
sewers
> rather than directly to the bordello. Mr. Millious really didn't want to
> take any chances."
Can you blame him?
> "Ugh!" Kei spat out as she forced herself to move forward. It
wouldn't be
> the first time she had to sneak through a sewer to get around. Of
course,
> she hated it every time she had to use one.
>
> xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Three hundred meters later, they came upon the secret doorway leading
> to the
> bordello. Three hundred meters of filth and grime that would have made
> even
> a pig recoil in disgust. It was just Kei's luck that the sewer had
fallen
> victim to poor drainage and there had recently been a storm. It made the
> water level three times higher than what it should have been. After
> slogging
> her way through waist deep refuse, her savior tapped a few stones and a
> secret passageway opened up. Kei emerged from the foul substance with an
> aroma that made her want to toss up her cookies. Every single one she
had
> eaten in her lifetime. Why did she have to have all the luck in being
> driven
> into such a disgusting environment?
>
> And then she remembered exactly why she was here.
>
> "Aw, crap."
>
> "Don't worry about it. I waded through some too. It'll wash off,
> probably,"
> he reassured her.
<snerk>
> Kei shook her head. "It's not that. In all the confusion, I almost
forgot
> why I was sent here."
>
> He stopped walking. "Oh?"
>
> Reluctantly, Kei said, "As soon as we're out of this, I'm going to
> have to
> go. I was supposed to meet some nerdy hacker and give him some
> material to
> look over for me and my friends, which is the last thing I want to do.
> Believe me, I'd rather spend my time with a stud like you than some geek
> who's surgically attached to his keyboard. But business is business,
> and it
> has to take precedent. His name is Mikael or something."
And how much do you want to bet...
> Her companion smiled. "Maybe I could help. It just so happens my second
> great passion is computers."
One left. Guesses?
> "Oh, is that so? And what's you third great passion?"
>
> "Maybe you'll get the chance to find out."
Oh, shut up, you biker hacker cassanova, you.
> That forced Kei to smile. After all they'd been through, he could
> still turn
> on the charm. Not that she had any intention of giving the
information to
> him. Handsome he might be; someone that could be trusted with vital
> information, probably not. "We'll see," Kei said non-committally.
Of course, jumping in the sack with him is perfectly okay -- that's not
sharing vital information.
> They arrived at a doorway at the end of the stairwell. Her companion
> moved
> aside another hidden recess that revealed a concealed keypad. He
> thought for
> a moment, then hit a ten number sequence. The panel chimed and retreated
> back into the recess. A second later, the door slid open.
>
> "You set up security here?" Kei asked.
>
> "I've been here from time to time," he answered as he entered the
> brightly
> lit chamber beyond....
>
> ....And found a beautiful woman in a business suit pointing a gun at his
> face.
Wife? Girlfriend? Tax Auditor?
> "Looks like you made quite an impression," Kei said as she
> surreptitiously
> went for her own pistol.
Could be, could be.
> "Hey ya', Mari," her rescuer said affably to the woman pointing then
> gun at
> him.
>
> "Mikael! You should have let us know you were dropping by." She smiled
> warmly, and more importantly, holstered the gun. Despite her
affectionate
> tone she refrained from embracing him.
A lady both well-armed *and* sensible.
> She then peered over her
> shoulder and
> spotted Kei. "Who's your friend?"
>
> Mikael introduced them. "Kei, this is Mari, head of security here. Kei,
> Mari."
>
> Mari nodded, though she didn't smile. "Well, Mikael, this is a first.
> A man
> who brings a date to a bordello."
....no. Too easy.
> He laughed easily. "Could you get Madame Fortuna and let her know I'm
> here?
> She always insists I stop by to greet her first thing, otherwise she
gets
> cross with me, and you know what she's like when she's cross."
>
> "That I do. I'll see if I can't get something set up for you. And your
> friend," she added, giving Kei a frosty look that bordered on a glare.
Meow! Hiss! Obviously, Mikey's popular here.
> Kei shot her back in equally disdainful look as the woman exited the
> room.
> Once she was gone and she and her companion were alone, Kei turned to
> him.
> "Mikael?"
>
> "The nerdy geek." He held his hands out helplessly.
Of course.
> Kei laughed, her anger at not being informed of his identity offset by
> her
> unwittingly shooting off her mouth and insulting a guy she wanted to
> score
> points with. "You're not what I thought you'd be like." It would have
> helped
> a whole lot if Iria had shown her a picture of him, or at least
mentioned
> the guy was a hunk. Kei would have been a whole lot more eager to meet
> him.
> Maybe Iria was getting old if she hadn't noticed his looks. Now Kei
(after end): Or something.
> was left
> in an awkward position. She tried lightening the mood and hoped he'd
> forgive
> her remarks. "I guess it explains your timely arrival."
>
> "I like making a good first impression," he said easily, letting her
know
> everything was all right.
He did manage that, all right.
> Kei relaxed. "Why didn't you identify yourself right away?"
>
> "I was sort of busy," he reminded her. "And if you think you had it
bad,
> Bob didn't even give me the benefit of a name. All he told me was the
> place,
> the time, and said, 'Look for a hot redhead. Don't worry, she'll be
> easy to
> find. She'll be in the middle of trouble.'"
Well, what *more* could you possibly need?
> Kei frowned, mostly because Bob's less than savory description had
turned
> out to be accurate. She'd have words for him as well when they she got
> back.
Yeah, she'll install Windows ME on his processor...
> "Yeah, thanks for the help. I mean, I could have gotten out of things
> on my
> own, but you made it a lot easier."
>
> "And you saved my ass a couple of times back there too, so I'd say we're
> even."
>
> And mighty proud she was of saving his fine ass. Things were turning
It would be a crime to let such a fine ass get vaped. Like letting the
Mona Lisa burn.
out
> pretty good, despite the rocky start. "You seem to be a well known guy
> around here."
>
> This time Mikael blushed faintly. "I practically grew up here. The girls
> treat me like a favored son, since most of them don't have any of their
> own."
(after end) Letting her son grow up in a bordello doesn't seem like
Iria. Of course, this may be a *respectable* bordello...
> "So it's completely innocent?" Kei asked, doubt in her voice.
>
> "Well, I'm lots of things, but I don't know as 'innocent' is one of
> them."
That's not an answer, that's a pass.
> Kei considered that. It wasn't like she was what would be termed
> 'innocent'
> either, and that rakish smile was fit for someone naughty rather than
> nice.
Why can't he be both?
> And it wasn't as though Kei was uptight, like Yuri was.
Wait, I thought Yuri was a slutty tramp? (:)
> Kei was still thinking things over when a woman entered the room. She
was
> older, at least in her fifties, with graying hair tied into a bun. She
> wore
> a tasteful dress that spoke of money and class, accentuating her
> femininity
> and sexuality, despite her age. Every one of her movements was poise and
> elegance personified. Kei actually felt a pang of jealousy upon seeing
> her.
` Sug: "at the sight of her"
> It was the first time she had ever felt jealous of an older woman.
Now, think, Kei, if you work at it, in twenty years *you* could look
this good! Uh, Kei, put the gun down. Kei...?
> "Miki," the woman cooed, strolling up to him and pecking him lightly
> on the
> cheek, one of the few spots of his body not covered in grime. "It's
> been a
> long time."
>
> "Madame Fortuna," he said, returning the kiss on her cheek.
>
> She retaliated by pinching his. "How many times have I told you, it's
> Nadia,
> Miki, my sweet?"
>
> "Ow, ow, all right, Nadia. Nadia."
` If she has a sparkly sapphire pendant, I'm running for the hills right
now.
> Fortuna released her grip and patted his cheek affectionately.
>
> Kei smiled at the exchange. Mari might have regarded Mikael with
> something
> more than motherly affection, but this Fortuna saw him in that sort of
> light.
>
> As if picking up Kei's thoughts, Fortuna turned to her. "And you are?""
>
> "Kei." She suddenly felt uneasy under the woman's piercing gaze. It was
> obvious she was being evaluated. She didn't like being evaluated,
even by
> her superiors, and that was their job. Of course, there was something
> about
> this 'Madame' (no doubt in every sense of the word, since she was in
> charge
> of a bordello) that reeked of a sense of superiority. A feeling that
came
> from within rather than being bestowed upon by others.
>
> After looking her over with a critical eye, Fortuna smiled. Kei was
> uncertain if it held approval or something else. In either case, the
> older
> woman turned back to Mikael. "So, what brings you here?"
(after end) I'm a tad surprised that they don't know each other. If
Nadia knew Iria well enough for Iria to let her babysit Mike, then it
would seem likely that their acquaintance went back a ways, into Kei's
time on Myce.
> Mikael told her all of the events that had happened that night,
> leaving out
> only the specifics of what he and Kei were supposed to discuss.
>
> "Rest assured, you'll be safe here." Fortuna waved at the room around
> her.
> "This is the one place where all men of power, both of legitimate and
> other
I'd go with either "other" or "questionable", not both.
> questionable means, agree that they need and want, and therefore falls
> under
> their protection. My home is probably the most secure place in all of
> Myce.
> You'll both be safe here, no matter who is after you."
>
> That surprised Kei. When she had been on Myce, she had no idea that
> such a
> place existed, or that it was held in such regard. Of course, neither
she
> nor Iria had hung out in bordellos, so the ignorance could easily be
> excused. Still, it made her uneasy to realize she had been unaware of
the
> internal workings of the city's underworld, especially since she was a
> top
> of the line troubleshooter and expected to sense such things.
It does seem anomalous.
> Fortuna wrinkled her nose in the pair's direction. "Now, you'd both
> best get
> cleaned up. I'd say you should use," she looked Kei over carefully
again.
> "The Blue Room. I think that would be appropriate. Leave your clothing
> outside the room and I'll have someone clean them for you."
>
> "Thank you," Mikael said sincerely.
>
> "You're always welcome here. My doors are open for you, and I think
> most of
> the other girls' are as well, and not for a fee." She gave him a knowing
> wink.
>
> Kei felt a bit of temper flare at the comment. None of 'the other
> girls' had
> better try putting the moves on Mikael while she was around, or they'd
> find
> out what it meant to interfere in a 3WA agent's mission. And Mikael
> was part
> of the mission now, since he was her contact. That meant he was hers and
> hers alone until she was finished with him. And she wasn't in any hurry.
So, she's got a legal justification for being posessive. How convenient.
> Mikael thanked Fortuna again and led the way, apparently not needing
> directions to the Blue Room. As they reached the doorway leading into
the
> building proper, Fortuna said, "By the way, have you seen Fujikuro
> lately?"
>
> Mikael turned. "Yeah, he's in good shape and as busy as ever. You know
> what
> he says. 'Old bounty hunters don't die, they just get meaner'."
>
> "He's never been mean with me," she said, amusement in her voice. "In
any
> case, the next time you see him, do tell him to drop by. I've missed him
> terribly, and I'd wager he's missed me too, unless I've lost my touch.
> And I
> most definitely haven't done that."
>
> "I will," Mikael promised, then led Kei from the room.
>
> As they made their way through what was obviously servants quarters, Kei
> asked, "Fujikuro? That old fart? He's still alive?"
>
> Mikael turned to her in surprise. "He sure is. Do you know him?"
>
> Kei nodded. "I grew up on Myce, actually. I'd see him every now and
> then. He
> was like a hard around the edges uncle. He tried to pretend he didn't
> care,
> but he'd look out for me when I got into trouble."
>
> "That's him," Mikael confirmed. "He hasn't changed much over the
years. I
> don't think he's ever changed. He and Madame... I mean Nadia, have had a
> thing going for almost as long as I can remember. I mean, it's not
> official,
> but it's obvious they got eyes for only one another. I think she'd
> like to
> marry him, if he'd offer, and get out of the business completely. I
> think he
> just can't grasp the concept of settling down. But I'm pretty sure he
> loves
> her enough for it. It's hard to say. I don't try to stick my nose in too
> far. Fujikuro is the type to bite it off if he thinks it's sticking
> too far
> into his business."
>
> "Huh." Kei had problems seeing Fujikuro as the type to marry. He was
> just so
> ornery and contrary, even if he had helped every now and then when
she or
> Iria had a problem.
Nadia must just have a taste for bad boys.
> As they went past the kitchens, Kei noticed several attractive women
that
> obviously weren't typical house staff, dressed in risqu� clothing,
> milling
> about. They smiled in recognition of Mikael and greeted him with sultry
> purrs. To Kei they shot suspicious or downright hostile glares.
>
> Once they were out of earshot of the girls, Kei said, "My, you sure are
> popular here. It's like everyone knows you." There was more than a
> hint of
> acid in her voice.
Yeah, but is it "little brother" popular, or "ROWR!" popular? I'm
thinking, both.
> Mikael shrugged. "Well, it does sort of tie in with my third, and
> favorite,
> passion."
>
> When it was obvious he wouldn't continue, Kei prodded him. "Which is?"
>
> "Women." He paused in front of a door that was, appropriate enough,
> blue. He
> opened it and bowed, allowing Kei to enter first.
>
> Kei wasn't sure of what to make of that. It was rare to find a guy that
> would openly admit to a female companion that he liked women. Of course,
> with the way Kei's life had been going lately, a passionate guy could be
> what she needed. Even if he was a bit younger than her. He didn't act
> younger. He was confident, but not in an obnoxious way. She was
> reluctant to
> admit it, but she could understand why he was held in favor by so
many of
> the girls here. He was charming, and Kei would have bet everything it
was
> sincere, rather than an act to seduce women. His composure under fire
Heh. He probably doesn't *need* to seduce women...
and
> risking his neck to help a stranger were clear indications of that. Good
> looking and suave, but ultimately a nice guy. Obviously he had some
> brains
> too if he was a hacker. And that killer smile was something else.
Careful, Kei, you almost sound like you're falling for him.
> They had seemed to connect almost from the moment they met, both of
> them a
> touch on the wild side as they enjoyed what life threw at them. The only
> thing that was a negative in Kei's book was that he was on the slender
> side.
> As a rule, she preferred her men beefy, but there was nothing wrong with
> being wiry. As long as he wasn't skin in bones, but his grip and
"skin and bones"
> handling of
> his bike seemed to dismiss that idea. No, he was in good shape. Not
> bad at
> all.
>
> He moved into the room, shutting the door behind him. Kei saw that this
> 'Blue Room' was clearly set up for entertainment of a visceral kind.
> It was
> sedate, almost like a honeymoon suite, and there was definitely a
> romantic
> air about the place. Nearly everything was fringed in a sky blue, but
> tasteful. It was certainly a mood setter, and Kei wondered if Fortuna
had
> set them up by letting them use it.
No bet.
> Kei became defensive at the idea. She was no hooker. If she slept with a
> guy, it was on her terms, and she certainly didn't need approval or
> encouragement from some aging madam. Just to prove it, she wouldn't
sleep
> with Mikael.
<snort> That'd be a change of pace. C'mon, Kei, who are you trying to kid?
> They'd just clean up, get changed, and get to the
> business of
> slicing that information and getting it back to Iria. Besides, it had
> been a
> long day, two attempts had been made on her life, and that was after a
> long
> trip through several systems in a cramped vessel. It would be best to
> grab
> some shut eye when she could. There was no telling what would be coming
> after her next.
That would be the smart thing to do. Which means it isn't the Kei
thing to do...
> "I'm going to grab a shower first," Mikael announced. He opened the
> door to
> the bathroom (also colored in blue tile) and pulled it behind him. It
> didn't
> quite close all the way, and there was an opening of about a half-dozen
> centimeters between the frame and the door.
>
> Kei's eyes were drawn to the crack. She could just make out clothing
> being
> shed and the color of flesh moving back and forth from her vantage
point.
> Was that a tattoo she saw decorating the back of his shoulder? She
> couldn't
> be certain. And was that his ass? If it was, it was definitely firm. She
> could see sinking her fingers into it just to test its firmness.
....no. Too easy.
> The movement disappeared, and she heard the sound of water running.
> Kei sat
> on the bed,
As dirty as she is now? Ick. Poor bed.
> rubbing her legs nervously together. A million thoughts ran
> through her mind as to why she should maintain her resolve, but there
was
> one thought that stood well in front of the others.
>
> "It has been way too long since I've had a good man." She unsnapped
> her top,
> allowing her breasts to swing free. Her bottoms followed suit. One thing
<nosebleed!>
> about her troubleshooter outfit; removing it was easy and quick; a
> fact she
> had appreciated on more than one occasion.
Ack. Again, too easy.
> Kei sauntered over to the shower and accepted the invitation that the
> open
> door represented. She announced her presence by saying, "Want some help
> washing some of those hard to reach places?"
>
> That was met with a response of, "I should warn, you, I have this
Extra comma.
back
> problem that makes washing anything below my waist difficult."
>
> "Oh, I'm an expert at washing there," Kei assured him as she joined
> him in
> the shower.
>
> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
That "scene breaker" takes on a whole new meaning, here. (:)
> Kei lounged about nude on the bed, purring in content like a cat that
had
> made a meal out of a flock of canaries. This was some of the best sex
she
Sug: "this/that had been some..."
> had ever had. Not only was Mikael handsome, caring, and pretty
> well-endowed,
> but he could play a woman's body like a musician with a finely tuned
> instrument. No doubt it had come from his time spent with the
Sug: "like a musician would a finely tuned..."
And we all know how well-tuned Kei's body is. Wowza!
> professionals
> here, but since Kei was benefiting from his training, she had no
> complaints.
>
> And the number of times he could get it up. He was like a horny
> teenager. He
Sug: up!
Teenager... wait, Kei left Myce fifteen years ago, right? Just how old
*is* Mike? Or rather, how *young* is he?
> was making her feel like one too, and she suppressed the urge to giggle
> inanely. She must have been insane trying to talk herself out of
sleeping
> with him. Knowing what she had almost missed because of false pride
> nearly
> sent a chill down her spine. Heck, she had almost tried sticking Yuri
> with
> the job, and she'd never have forgiven herself if her raven-haired
> partner
> had sunk her hooks into this hunk of man. No, everything had turned
> out for
> the best, and Kei was enjoying every second of it.
Somehow, I don't think so....
(after end): I think Yuri would have been the better choice.
> Currently she could hear him humming to himself in the shower,
> cleaning up
> again. Kei had already done so, the smell of the herbal body lotions
> rubbed
> into her skin making her feel revitalized. It had been an energetic
> night,
> followed by an energetic day, followed by one more energetic night.
...oy. Oh, you're including the space battle and biker chase, right?
This wasn't a 36-hr shagfest... was it?
> Now it
> was the next morning, and she was mostly tapped out. Mostly. Though she
> could be up for one more round, if Mikael's flesh was willing. But
> she'd let
> him approach her, in case he didn't feel up to it. She didn't want to
> be too
> demanding and seem like a bitch. She'd give him a whole twenty-four
> hours to
> recharge before going at it again. That would leave them enough time
> to do
> what she had come to Myce for, and start on compiling the information
> they
> needed.
Conservation of resources. Greenpeace would be so proud.
> There was a knock on the door. It must have been the breakfast. Madame
> Fortuna had been a wonderful hostess, and ordered the staff to cater
> to all
> of their needs. No doubt it was more for Mikael's sake rather than
Kei's,
> but she could live with that. Anything they needed, they had received.
<falls over> Argh... must... supress... hentai... joke reflex...
> Though all they had really needed was clean clothing (which had
stayed on
> them for all of five minute before being discarded again.) food to
> keep them
"...again), food"
> going, and some more... esoteric items. Mikael was certainly
> inventive, and
> it had served to inspire Kei toward some more innovative maneuvering as
> well.
Bad imagination! BAD! Stop tormenting me!
> "Enter," Kei said. Her hunger died when she saw who was at the door. She
> quickly covered herself up and tried to act casual. "Oh, hi, Iria.
> What are
> you doing here?"
"This isn't what it looks like! I'm on the case, really!"
> Iria stared upon Kei in open disapproval, letting her former prot�g�
know
> she was an open book and there was no sense in denying anything. "Things
> happened pretty quick after you left. Zeiram hit another station and
> sneaked
> away before we could kill him. We think we might have a new lead on
> him, and
> I wanted to swing by and pick you up and see what information you
> managed to
> dig up."
>
> "Oh, that." Kei tried playing it off, but her laugh was strained in a
way
> that only Iria's steady gaze could make. "Well, you see, I got attacked
> before I reached the planet."
>
> "I know. We found the remains of your ship in the middle of the
desert. I
> was concerned until I discovered your signal in the city." She held up a
> tracking device.
>
> Kei's hand went reflexively to her earring communicator. "Yeah."
>
> "And now I find you in a bordello?" Iria cocked a quizzical eyebrow.
Wait... wouldn't Iria *know* this bordello?
> Kei's laugh was even more uneasy. "Well, you see, I sort of got attacked
> once I got the city too."
Big surprise.
> "That would explain the destruction I saw on the way here. People are
> still
> talking about it, you know."
>
> "Exactly," Kei said. "And I had to lay low here."
>
> "Did you manage to find Mikael before you hit town and leveled half of
> it?"
>
> Kei's fear disappeared and she became positively giddy. "Oh, you could
> say
> that. And we hit it off really well."
Cue Something Bad.
> It was just at that moment that Mikael emerged from the bathroom,
> towel tied
> around his slender waist. He was still looking down, securing it, as he
> asked, "Is breakfast here? I'm starving." He trailed off as he saw who
> was
> in the room. He shifted nervously, and immediately went for a robe.
Yep. He knows her.
> Kei wondered curiously at the strange reaction, and turned her attention
> back to Iria. The bounty hunter's look of concern that had been
> directed at
> Kei had changed to a glare of suspicion and hostility, surprising the
> troubleshooter.
Oh, this is TOO perfect!
> Iria crossed her arms under her bosom and said in a warning tone of
> voice,
> "Kei, I hope for your sake that your intentions with my son are strictly
> honorable."
"SON!?!?!?!"
or
"You mean I just had a 12hr sex marathon with MY LITTLE BROTHER (so to
speak)!?!?!?!?!?"
Oooooh, this is going to be GOOD.
> Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> [End notes] I think this would be a good place to end it.
DB, you brainfskcer! Don't you DARE end-- oh, you just this chapter.
Okay, that's cool.
> DB Sommer
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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