A/N: There, now with the annoying description chapter out of the way, we can move on to grander things, like the actual story. LOL, well that's all part of the story, but let's just say the last chapter wasn't really my favorite to type. ~_^
Anyway, sorry this took so long and sorry this chapter is so very short! I promise I'm writing the next one ASAP and it will be longer!
Disclaimer: Peas!
Chap. 6
Rem watched as the sand below her flew past, or rather, she flew forward, supported nearly a hundred yarz in the air by the mass of metal of the sand steamer. It was impossible to watch a single spot before she was propelled forward again. The sand beneath her seemed to glow golden in the rising sun, stretching endlessly in all directions and covering Gunsmoke.
She sighed and leaned against the frail metal railing into the wind, enjoying the feeling of her newly cut hair whipping about her face and neck as the steamer picked up speed. She let all her fears and worry wash away with the morning rays, relaxing into the cool sunlight that filtered through her eyes and warmed her body. She had only left Daegon a few hours before, barely making it onto the late-night sandsteamer as it prepared to leave, but she could already feel her soul twisting in the wind, free of the constraints of life on the geo-plant. It was as if some hidden part of her was now clamoring at her to let it free, expanding within her skin and filling her mind with its presence.
For the first time in her life, she didn't feel the unease of guilt as she watched children running freely across the deck of the ship, not saddened when she saw an old woman nearing the end of her time. She was free to live and breath the morning sun and wallow in her new self discovery. "I may live outside of time," she whispered to the wind, "but I want to stay in this moment forever."
The steamer trudged on, speeding across miles of desert towards the next town, a young girl that looked like a man at its helm. The morning rays illuminating her form, giving her the appearance of an angel.
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Though large, Rem found the sand steamer to be packed full of people, each more rude than the next. She hadn't had the money to afford a single room, so she was forced to bunk in the lower decks with what seemed like hundreds of other passengers. Though most were somewhat well-off, others seemed no better than common criminals, glaring at her every time she passed by.
Children were underfoot and burly, gruff men leaned against the cool metal walls as if challenging her to bother them. She tried to push her way through the throngs of people to reach her bunk without too much trouble, but it seemed that trying to dodge rain would be a simpler task than trying not to bump into anyone. Either luck wasn't with her or fate had a score to settle as she tripped and knocked into what seemed to be the largest man she had ever laid eyes upon.
"What do you think you're doing, squirt?!" the man said cooly, his beard quivering as her spoke. She stared at his broad shoulders and large belly, trying to decide how to react.
"I'm terribly sorry!" she apologized quickly, almost forgetting to speak an octave lower than her usual tone. She scratched the back of her head nervously, "I'm awfully clumsy on these ships!" This, of course, was a flat out lie, as she had never met anyone with better balance than herself.
"You better watch out, you little punk!" The large man grabbed her around the collar of her shirt and lifted her completely off the ground so that even her feet didn't touch anymore, quite an accomplishment as she was pushing five foot ten. She struggled against his grasp, trying to free herself from his iron like grip.
Another man, this one much shorter than her and as skinny as a twig, peaked around his burly companion. "Clock him one, Bruno," the man said in a nasally voice, "teach this kid better balance next time, won't it?" Rem made a mental note to make the man regret his suggestion later.
Bruno seamed to consider this as the hand around her neck tightened a bit. She watched him with fear, still trying to escape without bodily harm as she struggled in midair. Rem watched as a large fist pulled back, coiling like a carnival toy. The tighter the coil was when you released, the harder it would punch. It wasn't his fist she was afraid of, but rather the force behind it as he grinned at her maliciously. "Guess you'll learn to watch out next time," he sneered.
Time seemed to slow down as she watched the fist begin to move towards her, ready to knock her into oblivion. As the punch hurled forward, she felt her whole body relax as she gripped his wrist that he had been holding her in the air with even harder. There was a sickening crack as her fingers pressed into his skin, exerting enough force on the small bones there to break. His fist still continued towards her, but that no longer seemed a problem as she merely reached forward with her free hand and pushed his arm aside as it slid past her.
Bruno instantly let go of her as his fist only met air and his other fell uselessly at his side. "What the hell did you do?!" he screamed, holding his broken arm gently with the other against his chest.
Rem felt a calm slip over her. Rather than screaming back at him, or even apologizing profusely while trying to slink away, she just let a cool facade slip over her features. "Don't ever touch me again, you filthy excuse for a human, or I'll do more than break your wrist," she said in a voice that was not her own. With that, she spun around and marched down the cool metal hall in search or normalcy.
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The dinning room was fairly well furnished, matching tables and chairs scattered about the wide space before a large stage where nightly shows entertained those guests on the ship wealthy enough for such things. Rem sat alone towards the back, still perturbed from the night's earlier events. "What possessed me to react so violently?" she mused aloud.
It was you or him. Some part of her responded so loudly, so violently against her logic that it was unignorable.
I have no right to hurt others for my own gain.
You are superior to his kind, why be ashamed of using your abilities to get what you want?
I didn't want to hurt him!
Didn't you?
She wanted to cry, afraid to answer her own thoughts and raging emotions. She didn't want to hurt that man, of that she was sure. If she was so sure, though, then why was she questioning herself?
She sighed and watched as other patrons walked into the dining room. The posh men escorted beautiful, elegant women, some of them shooting her a look of disdain as they past. She didn't care though. Rem couldn't bring herself to care what the primp and proper of society thought of her.
"You're all just fooling yourselves," she said to no one in particular, "hiding behind your money and you manners, trying to keep out the world. Do you really think it's possible to hide forever?"
Tired of the feeling she got from watching these people gorge themselves daintily, she sighed and pushed her chair back, earning her a few glares as it squeaked loudly across the polish floor. She let the door to the dining room swing shut behind her, not even casting it a second glance as she walked down the now deserted halls. Most of the ships inhabitants were now in the dining room, consuming ill-prepared gourmet and talking of the most resent scandals of their friends and family.
There was a faint click as a door behind her opened and shut. She didn't pay any attention, assuming that it was just another person off to eat supper and scoff at the price of steak.
She was suddenly jerked back, her body pressed flush against a lean form as a hand covered her mouth. A husky voice pressed against her ear, its words soft and masculine. "Don't say a word."
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A/N: Can this poor girl never get a break? I think not.
