I do not own Cowboy Bebop. Those lovely folk over at Sunrise do. I make no profit off of this. Please don't sue me.
Mission Earth
Chapter 3: L.A.
Faye looked down at the small city below her. The once sprawling metropolis was largely gone. Only a small settlement remained. Craters and piles of concrete lay on the outskirts of town. "What could have done all of this?" Faye thought. It hadn't even been this bad when she had been there a few months before. She started to descend towards the ground. Spike followed. They landed their ships easily. Faye casually looked around the inside of her ship to make sure she didn't forget her bag. Spike waited outside his ship smoking a cigarette. He rested in the shade the left wing provided. It was still very hot and sunny. Faye didn't seem to mind it. He glanced over. She was humming and digging around in her ship for her handbag and sunglasses. She closed her ship up and walked towards him.
"All right, Faye, what is the plan?" Spike asked.
"I thought we'd walk around the city and I'd look for things I remember."
"So you have no plan? Do you even know which direction?"
"No clue."
"You're more reckless than I am," Spike snorted as he followed her towards the city. Unlike their last stop this city had a lot of signs of habitation. The buildings all seemed newer. Some were of concrete, some were of adobe, some were vinyl-sided and some were plain structures with tin roofs. Children's bikes leaned against houses in alleys, cats ran across the path, and cars, some working, some not, were parked around. Not many people were out during this part of the afternoon but a few were. As Spike and Faye walked silently through the streets it wasn't unusual to see someone walking their dog or riding a bike. The occasional shadow from the remnants of a sky scraper crossed their path. No inhabited buildings were more than two or three stories. Most were only one.
"Just imagine, Spike. Fifty years ago this was all crowded city. There were shopping malls and apartment buildings, office buildings, 5-lane streets full of cars, and sidewalks bustling with people. Now it's nearly abandoned."
"The Gate Accident DID make Earth nearly uninhabitable, Faye. Look at how many craters there are. Look how many buildings have fallen over. Really, I don't see what the big deal about Earth is."
"Of course you don't. You were born on Mars. Don't you feel just a little bit at home? This is where we came from. This is where all of the human beings colonizing all of the planets in the solar system are from. This was the start of everything man has accomplished. It's the thread we all have in common."
Spike looked over at Faye like she'd grown another head. This whole Earth thing was making her say crazy things. "Yeah, Faye. Start of all of civilization. Got it."
Faye looked away. He never would get it. The pig-headed bastard only saw his own little self-centered world. Where he came from was not as important as where he would go and what he couldn't escape. Then again, Spike was not tied to places, just people. The setting might change but the people were the defining portion of his past. Maybe she should take a little of that to heart.
They approached a pavilion nestled amongst the ruins of a few skyscrapers. It had a a fountain in the middle as well as benches and a few statues. Most were heavily damaged by acid rain and neglect. The fountain was dry and had obviously been out of use for a while. "Let's take a break, Spike," Faye said sitting down on one of the benches. Spike sat down without a word on a bench next to Faye's. Faye rummaged around in her bag.
"Have you seen anything you recognize yet, Faye?" Spike asked.
"Not yet. I'm glad I'm here though. It feels familiar even if it doesn't look it." She was enjoying the blue sky and sun. The bench she was sitting on was still warm from the afternoon sun. Finally she found the morsel she was looking for in her bag. She took out a bread roll and started to tear it up. It was one of those hard rolls with the soft middle that kept so well while traveling. Spike noticed what she was doing as she gulped down the last of the roll and took out a second one.
"Hey! Why didn't you tell me you had that earlier?"
"I only had one." Faye said with a mouth full of bread.
"Liar, you have another one in your hand." Faye hadn't hid her prize in time. "Gimme that one since you ate the last one."
"No way! I brought it! You should have brought your own"
"Faye..." Spike said. His patience was just about out.
She gave him one last look and tore off half. She handed it to him and he began munching on it. Faye laid back on the bench and looked up at the clouds.
"Spike, do you ever miss the sky when you're in space?" Faye asked after a silent moment.
"No. In space all there is is sky. You can't miss it if it's there."
"It's not the same though. It doesn't change colors. There are no clouds. I miss the sky when we're in space. I used to be confused because I really didn't know where I came from. How could I miss something I didn't remember looking up at every day?"
Spike watched the fluffy white clouds drift overhead. Earth's sky was a lot different than Mars. The reds of the sky on Mars made him think of blood. A LOT of blood had been spilled there, a lot of his blood. He didn't look forward to going back there for a while. The silence was comfortable as the two laid there. Spike glanced over at her. Faye was lost in a reverie. Her green eyes were only half-open in that dreamy way. Her sunglasses were perched over her forehead. She really was a striking girl when she shut up. She looked pretty tired. "Faye, did you want to stay overnight here? I mean then you can see an Earth sunset and a sunrise."
Faye took a minute to answer. She seemed to snap out of her reverie, think about it for a second. "All right. We can do that," she said in a way that sounded more like she was giving in than appreciating Spike for being thoughtful for once. She momentarily wondered where this Spike had come from. If he'd been switched with the real Spike she just might keep this one. He was a lot less predictable and quite a bit more polite. Subtle walls seemed to be dropping between them. The barriers they kept up were crumbling. Maybe it was just too much effort to keep pushing people away. Both of them were so lonely and now all the crew had was each other. Jet was still so cold to Spike. She was one of the few he could turn to. She was one of the few he could trust to watch his back. Faye almost believed she may even be able to depend on him. She sat up and got off the bench. "All right, Spike. Get off your back, you lazy bum. Let's go find a hotel."
Spike glanced in her direction in an irritated way. He got up and scratched his head. "Lead the way, woman. I have no idea where anything is on this wasteland." Faye glared at him then started walking towards the more inhabited part of town. Spike really wished he had a new pair of shoes. His were worn and kind of uncomfortable. "Can we stop by the ship? I have a change of clothes in there. This heat has me sweating."
"That's because you're wearing long sleeves and layers. Did you ever think to ask what kind of climate we were going to?"
"No."
"Men. Always so stupid!"
They walked back in silence. Faye was taking in her surroundings. The afternoon sun was past its prime though it was still very warm. They were still a ways from the inhabited part of town. They had traveled about as far west as they could. It was all water from there on out. Lurking among the skyscrapers that lay toppled in the water didn't seem very safe anyways. The way light reflected off the blue depths onto the pale concrete was striking in an odd sort of way. Ruins never really struck him as very beautiful until now. It reminded him in a way of a mortality on a grand level that he had lost touch with. All that man created, no matter how great, could be destroyed. Faye had gotten a bit ahead of him and he hurried to catch up
The two of them walked through the town that only hours before had seemed sparsely populated. As it became gradually cooler more people appeared in the alleys and on the steps and porches of the houses. Many of the locals nodded at the two strangers. They seemed a quirky lot, much like Ed.
They arrived where the ships were parked as dusk was imminent. Faye tapped her foot impatiently after retrieving her duffle bag from the Redtail. Spike rummaged around the Swordfish in search of his clothes. Faye was halfway through a cigarette by the time he had gathered everything.
"Okay, I'm ready.." Spike said smiling at her. Faye just rolled her eyes.
"I hope we can find a hotel. This doesn't seem like a real touristy area and I really don't feel like camping."
"Ask one of the locals. They're all staring at us anyway." Faye glared at him for stating the obvious and walked towards one of the houses. Spike hung back afraid they would assume the shrew was his wife. He found himself observing her as she used the patented Faye charm on a man in front of a small stucco house. She acted shy and coyly placed a lock of hair behind her ear as she spoke. The man pointed towards the north and she graciously thanked him for the information.
Faye walked back towards Spike. "He said the two story adobe building with the lanterns on it is the only hotel in town. Half of it is destroyed but it's still open for business."
Spike nodded in approval glad it wasn't very far away.
"He said they don't get many honeymooners around here."
"What?!" Spike exclaimed. "You didn't tell him that did you?"
"Geez, Spike. Don't take everything so seriously. I told him you were my brother and we were here out of family duty. Our parents left Earth when we were very young but wanted us to visit as a condition of our inheritance."
"You've been watching too many girly dramas on TV again." Spike figured no matter how hokey it sounded it was better than everyone assuming they were honeymooners. A lot of people on Earth bent the truth on why they were there. Many had dubious origins. Bounty hunters proved pretty unpopular on Earth for that reason.
They made it to the hotel in just a few minutes. The lobby was quaint with under-watered houseplants and a few mismatched rickety chairs. Faye rang the bell and was greeted by a worn looking woman in her 40's. She had tired eyes and dirty hands. This was typical for Earth so Faye thought little of it. She asked the price for lodging and was dismayed to find it higher than she expected. Most of the rooms had been rented by people who's houses were destroyed by meteors or earthquake. After a quick sidebar conference with Spike she whipped out her money card and paid for their double bed room. Spike found it strange he didn't object to this arrangement. He knew one thing for sure. She better not snore.
At the top of the stairs they found their room. Faye unlocked the door and promptly dropped her bag a few feet inside. Spike collapsed into a chair as Faye explored the room. His whole body ached. Walking all day was a BAD idea. At least he was rid of the cold on the ship. After lighting a cigarette he leaned back into the worn leather and closed his eyes. The pain was almost unbearable. He was soaked with sweat as well. Faye came back in looking like a giddy child. "Spike, Spike. You HAVE to see this."
He sat there not willing to move. "What?" He groaned. "I don't want to move."
"Spike, you have to. Come on. Get up." Faye was not going to let up.
"I CAN'T move, Faye. My legs are too tired."
"Come on, lunkhead!" He was surprised when she took his hands and pulled him out of the chair.
"I'm up! I'm up!" he said not letting the cigarette fall from his lips. She lead him out onto a terrace.
"Isn't it beautiful?" Spike couldn't believe it but he was glad she had dragged him out there. He smiled genuinely. There in all of its glory was an Earth sunset. The orange and pink hues were doubled by the undulating reflection in the water. The dark silhouettes of the fallen buildings set it off perfectly. He didn't answer Faye but simply put a hand on her shoulder. It seemed like it was only the two of them sharing one moment that, for once in their lives, was completely perfect.
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I always want to promise things will get better and more exciting but I'm hitting a lull. I don't want to throw in carnage and destruction just for kicks though. I have chapter 4 written but it needs serious tweaking because I'm bored to tears reading it.