Thanks once more to reviewers. Contrary to tradition, I think I'll start with some replies:
Agent Josie: Damn it, I can't remember what you said. Well actually I can but I can't remember whether or not that was for this or ARGH WHERE ARE MY LIMBS?! Oh well, let me think. Salut as you may or may not know means 'hi' so i question the logic at putting that at the end of a review. Talk your way out of that one if you can. P.S. Thanks for reviewing.
Tai Wilson: Prepare to be disappointed, nah just kidding, I hope. Anyway, thanks for reviewing.
Chapter 17: Change of scenery
Contrary to what Locke told me, there were two ships in the dock that were being loaded with assorted goods. I contemplated several possibilities for why Locke might have lied to me before shrugging and walking towards the smaller of the ships, which I'd been told was the Logos.
Captain Niobe was a fairly short woman with dark hair that flowed down to her neck. And a stare that made you think that she'd ram her fingers through your eyes at any second just to amuse herself.
"Are you Drexler?" She asked impatiently.
"Drexler is I." I replied, wondering whether or not I should extend a hand, in the end I didn't get the chance. Niobe retreated back up the ramp with me struggling to keep up.
"Welcome to the Logos," she said hurriedly whilst talking to two other people at once, it was hard for me to pick out the words that were addressed at me. I think it went something like:
"Your cabin is the furthest down the hall to your right, stow your gear and then report to the main deck for uploads, in case your wondering, the second ship is what we could salvage from the Hammer, currently under the command of Captain Morpheus, repairs to…"
"Morpheus?" I half shouted involuntarily.
She stopped dead and turned to face me. The look on her face seemed to be a curious mix of concern, anger and frustration.
"Yes, what of it?"
"It's probably nothing." I said waving a hand in the air in a dismissive gesture, "my family had, uh, dealings with someone called Morpheus. But nowadays there are more Morpheuses then there are traffic lights."
It was true. Since the real Morpheus became famous, thousands upon thousands of duckweeds took up the name of the illustrious hacker. They would then go on to get arrested for computer crimes, get arrested for vandalism, or on some occasions, do more adventurous things like rob petrol stations or blow up…
Yes well anyway, Niobe nodded stared at with her with 'imminent eye gouging' stare for a few seconds before turning her attention back to a maintenance worker or someone who was waving a clipboard or something similar in front of her face.
"Why are you here?" She asked suddenly, her voice was raised slightly; I was a little surprised that I didn't flinch.
"Truth be told," I paused for a second wondering whether or not I was about to tell a joke or the truth, "I think that Jas…" I cut myself off, "Commander Locke sorry, just wants to get rid of me."
This time her stare combined confussion and amusement. Maybe she thought that me and Locke were lovers. I never found out.
"Look," her voice dropped slightly, "I'm guessing that Locke isn't exactly your favourite person, but he's not an idiot. He wouldn't have given you this posting if he didn't think you could handle it. Now I'm rapidly running out of time, any questions?"
"Why did you ask me why I was here then? Ma'am." The last word was added hastily as I remembered that I was now in the military."
Traces of a grin emerged on Niobe's face as she turned and left. I walked back down the corridor towards my room, (in which, annoyingly, many a crate had been stored.)
*******************************************************************
It had been a long day, three separate Demon attacks as opposed to the conventional 'one every two days'. Their activities had become more frequent over the last month. It soon became feared that the attacks would become too fast and frequent for us to handle.
On the way back to the destiny, I took another bite out of the chicken burger that I had purchased from the café on the seafront. It was the first meal I'd had all month. I was surprised by how the taste still seemed familiar. I made a note to myself to start eating more often.
The nice thing about being an ascended one is that you don't have to worry about such pesky things as weight gain, cholesterol, starvation etc. Your weight remains exactly the same unless you decide to change it.
"Any news about Neo and the sentinel attacks?" Asked Hydra suddenly. (In case you were wondering why people didn't point and gawk when they saw a green skinned person with a tail wandering around, she has the ability to make herself look human.)
"None." Replied Manticore, "the Oracle never tells us anything except when and where the Demons will strike."
"Figures." She replied, "Speaking of Demons, who has the highest head count?"
Ah yes, the head count, this was, as you may have guessed, a friendly competition between us as to who could collect the most Demon heads. At one time this would have made me sick to my stomach. But experience it seemed had driven squeamishness from me. Alas I was still doing poorly.
"I think it's me." Said Hawk whilst holding her latest head up for all to see. The look of pain on the head's face was bizarrely, and disturbingly comical, "this makes 15."
It almost felt too easy. The Demons were falling left right and centre. The resistance they offered was pathetic at best, and many would flee the battle zone at the sight of one of our guns. It soon occurred to me that they were just a motley collection of thugs with the experience, style and skill of a group of blind shrews. Despite this however, I kept expecting out luck to turn around and bit us in the arse in the not to distant future.
And when we got back to the Destiny, that is exactly what happened.
To be continued.
Something of a short one I know, fear not, the next one should be longer.
Agent Josie: Damn it, I can't remember what you said. Well actually I can but I can't remember whether or not that was for this or ARGH WHERE ARE MY LIMBS?! Oh well, let me think. Salut as you may or may not know means 'hi' so i question the logic at putting that at the end of a review. Talk your way out of that one if you can. P.S. Thanks for reviewing.
Tai Wilson: Prepare to be disappointed, nah just kidding, I hope. Anyway, thanks for reviewing.
Chapter 17: Change of scenery
Contrary to what Locke told me, there were two ships in the dock that were being loaded with assorted goods. I contemplated several possibilities for why Locke might have lied to me before shrugging and walking towards the smaller of the ships, which I'd been told was the Logos.
Captain Niobe was a fairly short woman with dark hair that flowed down to her neck. And a stare that made you think that she'd ram her fingers through your eyes at any second just to amuse herself.
"Are you Drexler?" She asked impatiently.
"Drexler is I." I replied, wondering whether or not I should extend a hand, in the end I didn't get the chance. Niobe retreated back up the ramp with me struggling to keep up.
"Welcome to the Logos," she said hurriedly whilst talking to two other people at once, it was hard for me to pick out the words that were addressed at me. I think it went something like:
"Your cabin is the furthest down the hall to your right, stow your gear and then report to the main deck for uploads, in case your wondering, the second ship is what we could salvage from the Hammer, currently under the command of Captain Morpheus, repairs to…"
"Morpheus?" I half shouted involuntarily.
She stopped dead and turned to face me. The look on her face seemed to be a curious mix of concern, anger and frustration.
"Yes, what of it?"
"It's probably nothing." I said waving a hand in the air in a dismissive gesture, "my family had, uh, dealings with someone called Morpheus. But nowadays there are more Morpheuses then there are traffic lights."
It was true. Since the real Morpheus became famous, thousands upon thousands of duckweeds took up the name of the illustrious hacker. They would then go on to get arrested for computer crimes, get arrested for vandalism, or on some occasions, do more adventurous things like rob petrol stations or blow up…
Yes well anyway, Niobe nodded stared at with her with 'imminent eye gouging' stare for a few seconds before turning her attention back to a maintenance worker or someone who was waving a clipboard or something similar in front of her face.
"Why are you here?" She asked suddenly, her voice was raised slightly; I was a little surprised that I didn't flinch.
"Truth be told," I paused for a second wondering whether or not I was about to tell a joke or the truth, "I think that Jas…" I cut myself off, "Commander Locke sorry, just wants to get rid of me."
This time her stare combined confussion and amusement. Maybe she thought that me and Locke were lovers. I never found out.
"Look," her voice dropped slightly, "I'm guessing that Locke isn't exactly your favourite person, but he's not an idiot. He wouldn't have given you this posting if he didn't think you could handle it. Now I'm rapidly running out of time, any questions?"
"Why did you ask me why I was here then? Ma'am." The last word was added hastily as I remembered that I was now in the military."
Traces of a grin emerged on Niobe's face as she turned and left. I walked back down the corridor towards my room, (in which, annoyingly, many a crate had been stored.)
*******************************************************************
It had been a long day, three separate Demon attacks as opposed to the conventional 'one every two days'. Their activities had become more frequent over the last month. It soon became feared that the attacks would become too fast and frequent for us to handle.
On the way back to the destiny, I took another bite out of the chicken burger that I had purchased from the café on the seafront. It was the first meal I'd had all month. I was surprised by how the taste still seemed familiar. I made a note to myself to start eating more often.
The nice thing about being an ascended one is that you don't have to worry about such pesky things as weight gain, cholesterol, starvation etc. Your weight remains exactly the same unless you decide to change it.
"Any news about Neo and the sentinel attacks?" Asked Hydra suddenly. (In case you were wondering why people didn't point and gawk when they saw a green skinned person with a tail wandering around, she has the ability to make herself look human.)
"None." Replied Manticore, "the Oracle never tells us anything except when and where the Demons will strike."
"Figures." She replied, "Speaking of Demons, who has the highest head count?"
Ah yes, the head count, this was, as you may have guessed, a friendly competition between us as to who could collect the most Demon heads. At one time this would have made me sick to my stomach. But experience it seemed had driven squeamishness from me. Alas I was still doing poorly.
"I think it's me." Said Hawk whilst holding her latest head up for all to see. The look of pain on the head's face was bizarrely, and disturbingly comical, "this makes 15."
It almost felt too easy. The Demons were falling left right and centre. The resistance they offered was pathetic at best, and many would flee the battle zone at the sight of one of our guns. It soon occurred to me that they were just a motley collection of thugs with the experience, style and skill of a group of blind shrews. Despite this however, I kept expecting out luck to turn around and bit us in the arse in the not to distant future.
And when we got back to the Destiny, that is exactly what happened.
To be continued.
Something of a short one I know, fear not, the next one should be longer.