Deep in the now empty holds of the transport ship, a few small and seedy crewmates were gathering. At the centre of the group was Shift Bandersnatch. He didn't like Alice from the moment he clapped eyes on her and being the "action" type bandersnatch he was, he decided to do something about it.
He and his half a dozen friends (or associates) were gathered in the bowls of the cargo deck behind some moving equipment and they all had not a good thought between them. Occasionally looking around them to see if anyone was listening but they were quite alone. Shift who knew about the Watcher core was greatly relieved to see that they didn't install their "eyes" on cargo ship so they were the perfect place for some suspicious plotting.
He gestured over to his men and they all huddled around him in anticipation. Being shifty made his plans quick and hard.
"Ok fellas" he began. His gruff voice rumbling around him as if to remind everyone he was the one talking and listening was in their best interest. "you know the girls aboard and I heard that when she gets onto them mainland, she's gonna have a price on her head, but she doesn't know it yet."
A general murmur of agreement and acknowledgement echoed between the mob
"So what I think is that we nab the girl before we reach land and take the booty for ourselves and share it out! What do ya think?"
"Sound like a good idea boss!" grunted one of his henchmen with just about everyone following the one who was brave enough to speak.
"Everyone got their blinkers with them?" shift asked.
On his question, everyone had un-holstered their weapons and cocked them in readiness. Each and everyone of them knew that the fire from them was going to be shot at a little girl in the near future.
"Right, here's the plan" said Shift and pulled out a map of the command deck where Alice's room was located. Her room was highlighted in blue with arrows curving around the corridors on both sides. For a seemingly stupid individual, sometimes he was more clever than he looked.
"Right I want you three (and pointed to some of his cronies) to come around the left hand side of the room and wait for my signal while the rest of us go around the opposite side and wait. Then we'll have the little darling in a cross file when we start shooting."
"She'll be no trouble boss!" snorted one guy. "Well turn her into mincemeat!"
Everyone was laughing quietly to themselves except Snatch who punched him in the head, knocking him flying and shutting up everyone else.
"Idiot!" he yelled "We don't want to kill her, we just want to knock her out! So don't use full strength on your blinkers yea scurvy lot!"
Heads were bowed and weapons were scaled down almost in disappointment. This bunch liked to do their job and leave very little behind. Especially if it was very little of a person they left behind!
Shift smiled for a moment.
"The more there is of her, they more money we'll get!"
There was a loud chorus of laughter and they all rose to do they job with Snatch leading in their wake through the holds and around the corridors. They went quietly as not to wake anyone up and they all knew that all the officers were either dining or asleep to notice them and what they were doing.
They all tiptoed around the ship and up many flights of stairs towards the command decks all with their weapons holstered for the time being. On ship is was customary to holster all weapons until the order was given to use them.
They were getting closer and closer to their targets room and all drew their weapons , ready for action and unbeknown by their target.
Alice was sitting in the fields of wonderland relaxing for the first time in ages talking to her friend the White rabbit who for once was not in a hurry to get anywhere. She was making a daisy chain with flowers from a nearby flowerbed in the vale of tears, something she had not done for a long time and she was remembering to enjoy herself. She could feel the smooth breeze flowing around her, fragranced by lavender and soothed by the sounds of the nearby babbling brook. It was babbling to a bunch of nearby tiger-Lilly's about how it's journey from the say had been and what a beautiful day it was to be running along, slightly disheartening the flowers as they couldn't move anywhere if they wanted to.
Alice felt the blazing heat of the sun on her face and felt the beads of sweat rolling down her face and beneath her dress. Her solution? A drink from the stream may help, so she raised herself and skipped sprightly over to the trickling waters in search of cool refreshment. She paused for a moment to sit down by the riverbank and scooped her hands into the water which was cool and fresh, just the way she wanted it! She scooped another handful of the water onto her face, hitting herself with an instant chill which was totally short lived as the bright sun shone down upon her and the green glade she was siting on as all manner of creatures below it were having a good day. She looked down into the stream to see her reflection below her, smiling back at her. She bowed her head in respect but her reflection has changed to an expression of horror!
Alice was shocked to see such a face and suddenly and without warning, the ground started to rumble beneath her in short bursts but getting steadily larger. She looked up to see the White rabbit running as fast as he could across the meadow, his face (what she could se of it) twisted by immense worry and immediate distress. He looked at the surface of the water and ran away even faster.
Alice looked once again into the surface but this time, not even her reflection was looking back at her and the rumbling of the ground was getting heavier. The flowers on the opposite side of the bank had all shut their petals around them as if to shield them from what was approaching and the river beneath her had begun to flow rapidly in the direction is was running , trying to flee!
Suddenly it all stopped!
All was silent.
Alice froze.
A familiar high voice broke the silence!
"Your hair wants cutting!"
Alice turned around !
Just in time to see the Hatter arching his cane to her head!
"And maybe your NECK could use a trim!"
He swing his cane down upon her
Alice screamed as loud as she could!
She awoke screaming in her bed with sweat dampening on her pillow and her breathing sharp and rapid in total fear and shock. It was just a dream, but something was wrong.
Alice jumped out of bed and dressed herself in a hurry, not forgetting to retrieve her knife from the drawer where a book would normally go and placed it in her dress pocket. Looking in her mirror on her dressing table she straightened her dress out and mopped her brow with her handkerchief, that was a dream she wouldn't like to repeat any time soon she thought to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her cabin door. She felt the knife in her pocket and opened the door to find nobody waiting there. Alice stepped outside to take a better look.
"THERE SHE IS BOYS!" yelled a voice "SHOOT!"
Several loud clicks were followed by several high screeching sounds in both directions. Alice lunged herself against the floor just missing the shots and allowing them to slam into the people on the opposite sides of each other, knocking them off their feet.
Alice drew her knife and threw it at the only person she found familiar. Shift Bandersnatch.
Her Vorpal bladed sliced through the air and imbedded itself in his hand which then slammed against the wall leaving him stuck to the wall and clenching his wrist in pain. All of the other members had started top run but received another 2 shots each by security officers who had arrived on the scene accompanied by the captain who was still dressed in his pyjamas.
"What happened Miss Alice?" as he looked about him at the crew members who were unconscious and Shift who was crying with pain nursing is bleeding hand.
"I heard a knocking on my door and when I went out to see who it was, I was fired on by all of the people. Unfortunately for them they managed to shoot themselves." She replied.
The captain glanced again at Shift and raised his palm towards his miserable mutineer as if looking for an explanation.
"He was the only one I recognised so I……err…...incapacitated him"
"In a very brutal way miss! I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate your weapon for the duration of the voyage."
Alice couldn't believe she was hearing this"
"They attacked me Captain!" Alice yelled in protest. But calmed herself as she noticed that two of the security officers had pointed her weapons at her. She relaxed her tone somewhat. "I meant no trouble, I was simply defending myself."
"I understand that miss. Replied the captain and signalled his men to stand down. "in that case I will assign you a security officer?"
"No need captain, I can take care of myself as you can see" and nodded towards Shift.
The captain nodded but was repelled by the sight of her knife sticking the crewman's hand to the bulkhead and he asked her to remove it. Alice lifted her hand to beside her shoulder and looked at the knife which then flew through the air once again and came to rest in her hand, making the captain gasp and the security officers jump. He turned to his mean and gave his orders.
"Take the prisoners to the brig and take Shift to the infirmary for his injury. Then put him in the brig and we'll question them tomorrow! In the mean time Alice, I suggest you return to bed and I'll leave a guard on your door, I insist."
"If you must" replied Alice begrudgingly feeling like an overprotected little girl again which she hated.
The officers carried the unconscious crewmen on their shoulders and two others waved their weapons in the direction of the corridor obliging Shift Bandersnatch to walk in front of them, but he scowled at Alice, nursing his hand before he was out of sight.
Alice thought it would be best if she returned to bed so she returned to her room with the officer standing to attention outside. She hoped she would not dream again but why she dreamt of the hatter was beyond her as he had been dead (or dismantled) for sometime now. She once again got undressed and climbed into bed.
But this time, she slept with her blade under the pillow. Just in case.
He and his half a dozen friends (or associates) were gathered in the bowls of the cargo deck behind some moving equipment and they all had not a good thought between them. Occasionally looking around them to see if anyone was listening but they were quite alone. Shift who knew about the Watcher core was greatly relieved to see that they didn't install their "eyes" on cargo ship so they were the perfect place for some suspicious plotting.
He gestured over to his men and they all huddled around him in anticipation. Being shifty made his plans quick and hard.
"Ok fellas" he began. His gruff voice rumbling around him as if to remind everyone he was the one talking and listening was in their best interest. "you know the girls aboard and I heard that when she gets onto them mainland, she's gonna have a price on her head, but she doesn't know it yet."
A general murmur of agreement and acknowledgement echoed between the mob
"So what I think is that we nab the girl before we reach land and take the booty for ourselves and share it out! What do ya think?"
"Sound like a good idea boss!" grunted one of his henchmen with just about everyone following the one who was brave enough to speak.
"Everyone got their blinkers with them?" shift asked.
On his question, everyone had un-holstered their weapons and cocked them in readiness. Each and everyone of them knew that the fire from them was going to be shot at a little girl in the near future.
"Right, here's the plan" said Shift and pulled out a map of the command deck where Alice's room was located. Her room was highlighted in blue with arrows curving around the corridors on both sides. For a seemingly stupid individual, sometimes he was more clever than he looked.
"Right I want you three (and pointed to some of his cronies) to come around the left hand side of the room and wait for my signal while the rest of us go around the opposite side and wait. Then we'll have the little darling in a cross file when we start shooting."
"She'll be no trouble boss!" snorted one guy. "Well turn her into mincemeat!"
Everyone was laughing quietly to themselves except Snatch who punched him in the head, knocking him flying and shutting up everyone else.
"Idiot!" he yelled "We don't want to kill her, we just want to knock her out! So don't use full strength on your blinkers yea scurvy lot!"
Heads were bowed and weapons were scaled down almost in disappointment. This bunch liked to do their job and leave very little behind. Especially if it was very little of a person they left behind!
Shift smiled for a moment.
"The more there is of her, they more money we'll get!"
There was a loud chorus of laughter and they all rose to do they job with Snatch leading in their wake through the holds and around the corridors. They went quietly as not to wake anyone up and they all knew that all the officers were either dining or asleep to notice them and what they were doing.
They all tiptoed around the ship and up many flights of stairs towards the command decks all with their weapons holstered for the time being. On ship is was customary to holster all weapons until the order was given to use them.
They were getting closer and closer to their targets room and all drew their weapons , ready for action and unbeknown by their target.
Alice was sitting in the fields of wonderland relaxing for the first time in ages talking to her friend the White rabbit who for once was not in a hurry to get anywhere. She was making a daisy chain with flowers from a nearby flowerbed in the vale of tears, something she had not done for a long time and she was remembering to enjoy herself. She could feel the smooth breeze flowing around her, fragranced by lavender and soothed by the sounds of the nearby babbling brook. It was babbling to a bunch of nearby tiger-Lilly's about how it's journey from the say had been and what a beautiful day it was to be running along, slightly disheartening the flowers as they couldn't move anywhere if they wanted to.
Alice felt the blazing heat of the sun on her face and felt the beads of sweat rolling down her face and beneath her dress. Her solution? A drink from the stream may help, so she raised herself and skipped sprightly over to the trickling waters in search of cool refreshment. She paused for a moment to sit down by the riverbank and scooped her hands into the water which was cool and fresh, just the way she wanted it! She scooped another handful of the water onto her face, hitting herself with an instant chill which was totally short lived as the bright sun shone down upon her and the green glade she was siting on as all manner of creatures below it were having a good day. She looked down into the stream to see her reflection below her, smiling back at her. She bowed her head in respect but her reflection has changed to an expression of horror!
Alice was shocked to see such a face and suddenly and without warning, the ground started to rumble beneath her in short bursts but getting steadily larger. She looked up to see the White rabbit running as fast as he could across the meadow, his face (what she could se of it) twisted by immense worry and immediate distress. He looked at the surface of the water and ran away even faster.
Alice looked once again into the surface but this time, not even her reflection was looking back at her and the rumbling of the ground was getting heavier. The flowers on the opposite side of the bank had all shut their petals around them as if to shield them from what was approaching and the river beneath her had begun to flow rapidly in the direction is was running , trying to flee!
Suddenly it all stopped!
All was silent.
Alice froze.
A familiar high voice broke the silence!
"Your hair wants cutting!"
Alice turned around !
Just in time to see the Hatter arching his cane to her head!
"And maybe your NECK could use a trim!"
He swing his cane down upon her
Alice screamed as loud as she could!
She awoke screaming in her bed with sweat dampening on her pillow and her breathing sharp and rapid in total fear and shock. It was just a dream, but something was wrong.
Alice jumped out of bed and dressed herself in a hurry, not forgetting to retrieve her knife from the drawer where a book would normally go and placed it in her dress pocket. Looking in her mirror on her dressing table she straightened her dress out and mopped her brow with her handkerchief, that was a dream she wouldn't like to repeat any time soon she thought to herself. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her cabin door. She felt the knife in her pocket and opened the door to find nobody waiting there. Alice stepped outside to take a better look.
"THERE SHE IS BOYS!" yelled a voice "SHOOT!"
Several loud clicks were followed by several high screeching sounds in both directions. Alice lunged herself against the floor just missing the shots and allowing them to slam into the people on the opposite sides of each other, knocking them off their feet.
Alice drew her knife and threw it at the only person she found familiar. Shift Bandersnatch.
Her Vorpal bladed sliced through the air and imbedded itself in his hand which then slammed against the wall leaving him stuck to the wall and clenching his wrist in pain. All of the other members had started top run but received another 2 shots each by security officers who had arrived on the scene accompanied by the captain who was still dressed in his pyjamas.
"What happened Miss Alice?" as he looked about him at the crew members who were unconscious and Shift who was crying with pain nursing is bleeding hand.
"I heard a knocking on my door and when I went out to see who it was, I was fired on by all of the people. Unfortunately for them they managed to shoot themselves." She replied.
The captain glanced again at Shift and raised his palm towards his miserable mutineer as if looking for an explanation.
"He was the only one I recognised so I……err…...incapacitated him"
"In a very brutal way miss! I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate your weapon for the duration of the voyage."
Alice couldn't believe she was hearing this"
"They attacked me Captain!" Alice yelled in protest. But calmed herself as she noticed that two of the security officers had pointed her weapons at her. She relaxed her tone somewhat. "I meant no trouble, I was simply defending myself."
"I understand that miss. Replied the captain and signalled his men to stand down. "in that case I will assign you a security officer?"
"No need captain, I can take care of myself as you can see" and nodded towards Shift.
The captain nodded but was repelled by the sight of her knife sticking the crewman's hand to the bulkhead and he asked her to remove it. Alice lifted her hand to beside her shoulder and looked at the knife which then flew through the air once again and came to rest in her hand, making the captain gasp and the security officers jump. He turned to his mean and gave his orders.
"Take the prisoners to the brig and take Shift to the infirmary for his injury. Then put him in the brig and we'll question them tomorrow! In the mean time Alice, I suggest you return to bed and I'll leave a guard on your door, I insist."
"If you must" replied Alice begrudgingly feeling like an overprotected little girl again which she hated.
The officers carried the unconscious crewmen on their shoulders and two others waved their weapons in the direction of the corridor obliging Shift Bandersnatch to walk in front of them, but he scowled at Alice, nursing his hand before he was out of sight.
Alice thought it would be best if she returned to bed so she returned to her room with the officer standing to attention outside. She hoped she would not dream again but why she dreamt of the hatter was beyond her as he had been dead (or dismantled) for sometime now. She once again got undressed and climbed into bed.
But this time, she slept with her blade under the pillow. Just in case.