Shelled 5
It took all of my self-control not to gape at the inside. To say it was astounding would be an understatement. Instead of rotting walls and dirt floors like one would suspect it was almost palatial in appearance. Built into the sturdy walls were screens displaying all the vital statistics of the city and other major centers through out the galaxy. Scanners, a device used to detect electronic surveillance were hung in every corner. Sturdy tables littered the room adorned with every type of junk known to man and probably a few that weren't. Although the room didn't hold any type of weaponry it almost should have. It would have made far more sense. I felt more than heard Chang Wufei and Duo Maxwell crowd behind me trying to get in far enough to close the door. Not surprising seeing what secret they had to hide. Perhaps this made me feel more relaxed about Duo. Before he had seemed……open. Too open. Humans always have something to hide. Myself included.
I moved aside just enough to let them through. They could do what they liked but I needed to think. What kind of person held these types of secrets? Chang Wufei's face flitted into my thoughts and I paused to consider him. Another one that was unplacable. I thought I knew everything there was to know about humanity and it's actions, reactions, emotions and even types of people.
But Chang Wufei……… He had seemed uptight, aggressive, and fully capable of taking care of himself. He was in all likelihood a fighter, but where could he have learned………… While fighting wasn't outlawed it was so frowned upon outside the Wings, the space fleet that were "keepers of the peace", that few, if any, dared teach others how to fight. His actions suggested he was far older than his physical age. Yet…he was about 16. He should have been in school by all rights. So should have Duo come to think of it. Good…I had pinned down yet another thing that was bothering me about them. The door slammed and a hand thrust itself into my vision.
"Chang Wufei. Call me Wufei when you must speak to me at all." It was an arrogant introduction at best. "You will not speak of this area at all. You will not bring anyone here. And you will not tamper with anything you see." Wufei stressed the last not. A single eyebrow rose in question. Wufei caught it and just glared before turning away to a doorway. "You will sleep in here." He indicated the room just beyond. It was barely larger than a closet or one of the bunks I had previously using. A simply cot was pushed up against the wall. One part of my mind idly wondered where he had found it, since it seemed to be the ancient mattress kind. I nodded and brushed past him setting my meager belongings on the bed. Duo spoke up for the first time since we entered.
"See! I told ya he wouldn't be any trouble! ……or did I… I can't remember. Ah well! So wanna go job hunting?!" Duo's brief seriousness passed without any harm to his ever present grin as far as I could tell. It still seemed etched into his face. Without waiting for an answer he managed to bounce, or race, or something between the two, towards the door. I nodded needlessly moving to brush past Wufei again. His hand blocked me from following and I glanced at him startled at this restraint. My own eyes sought his and I shivered at the message I saw written in the near fathomless pools of black and deep brown that were his eyes.
It took all of my self-control not to gape at the inside. To say it was astounding would be an understatement. Instead of rotting walls and dirt floors like one would suspect it was almost palatial in appearance. Built into the sturdy walls were screens displaying all the vital statistics of the city and other major centers through out the galaxy. Scanners, a device used to detect electronic surveillance were hung in every corner. Sturdy tables littered the room adorned with every type of junk known to man and probably a few that weren't. Although the room didn't hold any type of weaponry it almost should have. It would have made far more sense. I felt more than heard Chang Wufei and Duo Maxwell crowd behind me trying to get in far enough to close the door. Not surprising seeing what secret they had to hide. Perhaps this made me feel more relaxed about Duo. Before he had seemed……open. Too open. Humans always have something to hide. Myself included.
I moved aside just enough to let them through. They could do what they liked but I needed to think. What kind of person held these types of secrets? Chang Wufei's face flitted into my thoughts and I paused to consider him. Another one that was unplacable. I thought I knew everything there was to know about humanity and it's actions, reactions, emotions and even types of people.
But Chang Wufei……… He had seemed uptight, aggressive, and fully capable of taking care of himself. He was in all likelihood a fighter, but where could he have learned………… While fighting wasn't outlawed it was so frowned upon outside the Wings, the space fleet that were "keepers of the peace", that few, if any, dared teach others how to fight. His actions suggested he was far older than his physical age. Yet…he was about 16. He should have been in school by all rights. So should have Duo come to think of it. Good…I had pinned down yet another thing that was bothering me about them. The door slammed and a hand thrust itself into my vision.
"Chang Wufei. Call me Wufei when you must speak to me at all." It was an arrogant introduction at best. "You will not speak of this area at all. You will not bring anyone here. And you will not tamper with anything you see." Wufei stressed the last not. A single eyebrow rose in question. Wufei caught it and just glared before turning away to a doorway. "You will sleep in here." He indicated the room just beyond. It was barely larger than a closet or one of the bunks I had previously using. A simply cot was pushed up against the wall. One part of my mind idly wondered where he had found it, since it seemed to be the ancient mattress kind. I nodded and brushed past him setting my meager belongings on the bed. Duo spoke up for the first time since we entered.
"See! I told ya he wouldn't be any trouble! ……or did I… I can't remember. Ah well! So wanna go job hunting?!" Duo's brief seriousness passed without any harm to his ever present grin as far as I could tell. It still seemed etched into his face. Without waiting for an answer he managed to bounce, or race, or something between the two, towards the door. I nodded needlessly moving to brush past Wufei again. His hand blocked me from following and I glanced at him startled at this restraint. My own eyes sought his and I shivered at the message I saw written in the near fathomless pools of black and deep brown that were his eyes.
