----- Chapter 5 : Fast Changes ------
Sue pounded on the door to Ash's apartment. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently.
"Ash? It's me... AGAIN!"
She turned and shrugged at her companion. The RAmar decked out in black and red folded his arms.
"I do have more important things to do you know." He stated impatiently.
"Okay... Plan B."
Browsing through her photon storage unit she selected an item and a small plastic card materialised onto her open palm.
"Spare." She said when the RAmar raised a querying eyebrow. "Hey, it's a long story."
They stepped in and were immediately assaulted by an awful stench. She went over to the fridge. It was nearly empty and various cartons had been strewn over the floor. Since the door had been left open for some time, the motor had long since burned out and the remnants had spoiled.
"He's not in here." The RAmar called from the bedroom.
"Where could he b..." She stopped when she saw the figure standing in the doorway.
"Ash! Where have you been all this time? I've been worried." Sue realised she sounded like that FOnewearl from a couple of days ago, but that did not matter to her.
"Hmph, since when did you start caring about me?" He said coldly.
Sue was taken aback by his remark, but recovered her composure.
"Well well. Down for the count for four days and now look who grew a spine!"
"Not quite." Said Ash as he disappeared into the bedroom. "I've been in the mines since the day before yesterday. I've just come back to change and pick up some supplies."
"You've spent two days in the mines? When most Hunters couldn't last two beats." Said Sue incredulously.
"I'm not like most Hunters." Came back the reply.
"Well mister-I'm-not-like-other-Hunters, We're off to retrieve Doctor Osto's research from the research labs in the mines. I thought you might want to tag along."
There was no reply.
"Hello? Coral to Ash, come in Ash!"
"Sorry, I have my own thing to worry about." He said as he emerged and barged past the RAmar.
"Hey!" The RAmar said indignantly.
But Ash ignored him and left without even a glance backwards.
"Come on Alex. We don't need him."
-----
Ash returned to Pioneer Two. It had felt weird, almost like it was wasting time from whatever duty he had been assigned to. Food had not been a problem, the facility's canteen was well stocked, but the fighting had taken a toll on his armour and now the once-bright orange frame he wore was dulled a dark brown with blasts and oil.
He had seemed to require no sleep and almost no rest despite near constant exertion, if it could be called that. It was a minor transformation, but certainly one for the better. Arriving at his apartment he noted that the door had been left wide open, had he forgotten to close it he wondered. When he stepped inside he did not even notice the smell...
Sue and that RAmar jerk she hung around with were waiting for him there. She pestered him with her banalities but he was in no mood to chitchat and went to the bedroom to change. She seemed to disbelieve where he had been.
"You've spent two days in the mines? When most Hunter couldn't last two beats." Said Sue incredulously.
"I'm not like most Hunters." He said as he pulled off his suit and fished around for a replacement.
"Well mister-I'm-not-like-other-Hunters, We're off to retrieve Doctor Osto's research from the research labs in the mines. I thought you might want to tag along."
As he pulled on the new suit he caught a glimpse of his forearm in the dim light. The skin where he had been scratching before was now a darkish red colour and was almost scaly to the touch.
"Surprising..." He whispered to himself.
"Hello? Coral to Ash, come in Ash!"
He snapped back to reality, picked up the photon storage unit from the bed and left the room.
"Sorry, I have my own thing to worry about."
He made sure to barge past Alex on the way out.
Sue pounded on the door to Ash's apartment. She seemed to be doing that a lot recently.
"Ash? It's me... AGAIN!"
She turned and shrugged at her companion. The RAmar decked out in black and red folded his arms.
"I do have more important things to do you know." He stated impatiently.
"Okay... Plan B."
Browsing through her photon storage unit she selected an item and a small plastic card materialised onto her open palm.
"Spare." She said when the RAmar raised a querying eyebrow. "Hey, it's a long story."
They stepped in and were immediately assaulted by an awful stench. She went over to the fridge. It was nearly empty and various cartons had been strewn over the floor. Since the door had been left open for some time, the motor had long since burned out and the remnants had spoiled.
"He's not in here." The RAmar called from the bedroom.
"Where could he b..." She stopped when she saw the figure standing in the doorway.
"Ash! Where have you been all this time? I've been worried." Sue realised she sounded like that FOnewearl from a couple of days ago, but that did not matter to her.
"Hmph, since when did you start caring about me?" He said coldly.
Sue was taken aback by his remark, but recovered her composure.
"Well well. Down for the count for four days and now look who grew a spine!"
"Not quite." Said Ash as he disappeared into the bedroom. "I've been in the mines since the day before yesterday. I've just come back to change and pick up some supplies."
"You've spent two days in the mines? When most Hunters couldn't last two beats." Said Sue incredulously.
"I'm not like most Hunters." Came back the reply.
"Well mister-I'm-not-like-other-Hunters, We're off to retrieve Doctor Osto's research from the research labs in the mines. I thought you might want to tag along."
There was no reply.
"Hello? Coral to Ash, come in Ash!"
"Sorry, I have my own thing to worry about." He said as he emerged and barged past the RAmar.
"Hey!" The RAmar said indignantly.
But Ash ignored him and left without even a glance backwards.
"Come on Alex. We don't need him."
-----
Ash returned to Pioneer Two. It had felt weird, almost like it was wasting time from whatever duty he had been assigned to. Food had not been a problem, the facility's canteen was well stocked, but the fighting had taken a toll on his armour and now the once-bright orange frame he wore was dulled a dark brown with blasts and oil.
He had seemed to require no sleep and almost no rest despite near constant exertion, if it could be called that. It was a minor transformation, but certainly one for the better. Arriving at his apartment he noted that the door had been left wide open, had he forgotten to close it he wondered. When he stepped inside he did not even notice the smell...
Sue and that RAmar jerk she hung around with were waiting for him there. She pestered him with her banalities but he was in no mood to chitchat and went to the bedroom to change. She seemed to disbelieve where he had been.
"You've spent two days in the mines? When most Hunter couldn't last two beats." Said Sue incredulously.
"I'm not like most Hunters." He said as he pulled off his suit and fished around for a replacement.
"Well mister-I'm-not-like-other-Hunters, We're off to retrieve Doctor Osto's research from the research labs in the mines. I thought you might want to tag along."
As he pulled on the new suit he caught a glimpse of his forearm in the dim light. The skin where he had been scratching before was now a darkish red colour and was almost scaly to the touch.
"Surprising..." He whispered to himself.
"Hello? Coral to Ash, come in Ash!"
He snapped back to reality, picked up the photon storage unit from the bed and left the room.
"Sorry, I have my own thing to worry about."
He made sure to barge past Alex on the way out.