So here's the next chapter. Sorry for the delay, but right now I'm kinda busy with all sorts of stuff, none of which are things I enjoy doing. Oh well, I guess it's only natural that you have to slow down eventually. Meh...
Anyway, thanks go to bjlu9000 for beta-reading this chapter.
Chapter 10
AND AAAAAA-IIIAAAAAAIII...
''Left? Or right? Hmm..." the young woman mused as she stood in the middle of the corridor and wondered which way she should go next.
"You said you knew where to go. You said that we just had to grab the darn thing and then be gone. You said-" the huge Protoss behind her whined.
"I say a lot of things." Paula replied. "Usually no one listens to me anyway, so the joke's on you."
"I hate you!" Sirella whispered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
Seriously, Sirella should have known that it wouldn't be that simple. As long as Paula was involved, nothing was ever simple. It was as if her friend felt a diabolical glee whenever she could turn other people's lives into a living hell.
She probably got that from her uncle...
"Left it is!" Paula suddenly declared, only to walk down the right corridor.
Yep, she definitely got that from her uncle.
"Perhaps we should have waited until the Marshal is gone. He wants to take Janice back to the city, right? It would have been easier to come down here without him being still around." Sirella mumbled.
"Uh, someone's scared that the big bad Marshal will be angry!" Paula chuckled. "Eh', don't sweat it. Some people just need to be kept busy all the time. Don't worry, he will be angry at me anyway, not you. And you know that I don't care about people being angry at me."
"Except for your parents." Sirella mumbled.
"Yeah, well, except for them."
"And your aunt."
"Yep, except for her too." Paula replied and gritted her teeth.
"And your uncles."
"Yes, Sirella, I get it."
"And your master."
"Uhhhh..."
"And my grandfa-"
"Yes! I get it! Thank you! Let me rephrase: I don't care if the Marshal is angry at me. How about we leave it at that, yes?" Case closed.
"You know..." Sirella mumbled after a while. "...I still don't get why this thing is still in such good shape. I mean, how long has it been buried down here? Must have been ages, yet it's still in a surprisingly good shape."
"Well, someone's taking good care of this baby." Paula explained as if she actually knew what she was talking about. "Or should I say..." She then stopped and looked over her shoulder. "...something took good care? Uhhhhh..." Sirella looked at her friend and didn't say anything, which resulted in a long and awkward moment of silence.
"Say what?" the Protoss asked after a while, only to notice the frustration on Paula's face.
"It's supposed to be scary! This is where you are supposed to squeal in distress because there is a monster down here!" the young woman groaned.
"You don't have to insult yourself, you know." Sirella mused.
"Oh, harr harr. Look who's trying to be funny!" her friend shot back. They reached an elevator whose doors were open. There was no cabin, so all that was lurking on the other side was a dark and bottomless pit. Paula continued bickering when they walked past the elevator shaft, and neither she nor Sirella paid any attention to it. Until...
"You know, you acted like a true coward when we first got here." Paula mused. "And now suddenly you aren't even flinching when I'm-" That's when suddenly a gargled voice echoed through the empty husk of the battlecruiser.
"Kerrrrrigaaaaan..."
When Sirella heard that, she froze in an instant and Paula stopped as well.
"That's not funny, Paula!" the young Protoss whined. Well, look who had just tried to act all serious.
"...she's a destroyer..." the voice gargled. "...returned to claim what is not hers anymore..."
"Paula! Dammit, stop that!" Sirella squealed, but her friend only sighed.
"That ain't me, Sirella. I swear." She appeared to be way too calm.
"Then who is it, huh?" the Protoss demanded to know and her friend pointed with her finger at the elevator shaft right behind them. Sirella turned around and when she noticed how something pushed itself through the open door, she screamed in horror.
"What is that? WHAT IS THAT?!" the huge Protoss howled and hid behind her smaller friend.
"One of the locals." Paula explained as if it was this was the most normal thing in the world to happen to them. What emerged from the elevator shaft had no shape or form, it resembled something akin to a tentacle.
"...Kerrigan..." an unworldly voice gargled. It sounded as if it was coming from everywhere at the same time. Quite unnerving, really.
"Oh no! Oh, please! This isn't real!" the Protoss whined, yet Paula just groaned and walked over to the tentacle slithering towards them. It was utterly hideous and Sirella was glad that she had no mouth or stomach, or she would have puked.
"Paula! Don't go! This thing might be dangerous and-" But before Sirella could finish her sentence, Paula raised her feet and brought it crushing down on the tip of the tentacle. The creature, whatever it was, howled in pain and the slimy appendage slithered back to where it came from. It vanished inside the dark and empty elevator shaft. Paula followed it, only to push her head through the door and yell something.
"YOU WAITED FOREVER DOWN HERE!" she screamed. "YOU CAN WAIT A COUPLE MORE DAYS! DON'T WORRY, I'LL GET TO YOU EVENTUALLY!" And then she snipped with her finger and the heavy elevator door slammed shut. And then...
…
…
…
"WHAT IN THE NAME OF TASSADAR WAS THAT?!" Sirella screamed in terror.
"Like I said: One of the locals. Don't worry, he's harmless." Paula explained, only to add a "I think."
"That's...that's not an explanation!" her friend whined, visibly shaken. "Paula, dammit! What is that thing! And why does it know you?!"
"He doesn't know me, he's just confused. That's all." Paula said as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
"He?" Sirella stuttered.
"You'll see soon enough. Don't worry, he's harmless...ish." Oh, that sure as hell helped to inspire confidence.
"So Janice was right about those voices..." the Protoss gasped.
"Ironic, isn't it?" Paula mused before turning away from the elevator shaft and moving on as if nothing unusual had just happened. "But you know what's really funny? That Dan's explanation for this whole mess sounds a lot more reasonable than what's really going on inside of this thing. Then again, the truth would probably blow everyone's collective mind."
"I wonder why's that." Sirella whispered, only to stop and frown when she realized something. "Wait...Dan? You call the Marshal by his first name?"
"Yeah, why not? Humans have more than one name, not everyone is so poor that they can only afford one name, like Protoss."
"That's not the reason why I have only one name!" Sirella protested. "Also, we Protoss don't believe in capitalism."
"That's something only poor people say." Paula replied.
"Your cultural insensitivity never ceases to amaze me..." her friend mumbled. "...and you claim that you are fascinated by Protoss." However, Paula was no longer listening. She was heading forward, looking for a certain room. If they were fast enough, Bowski wouldn't even notice that they were gone. Not that it mattered. Perhaps this whole gig had been a bad idea after all. Maybe Paula should have asked for some more help. Maybe her former master would have loved to help her. Tesson would never admit it, but he was always worried sick whenever his little fireball would head out there in order to cause some chaos.
But, alas, she had decided to drag Sirella with her. Too bad. For both of them.
It took them a while until they finally reached another door. By now Sirella had no idea which deck they were on. She had stopped counting after number thirteen.
"So..." the Protoss mumbled after a while. "...once we get what you came here for, we can leave?"
"Is that a request?" Paula wanted to know.
"If you ask me directly, then...yes. I would like to leave."
"No sense of adventure? Don't you want to know what that thing was right now? A mysterious tentacle calling your name?" the young woman asked as if that thing hadn't been scary at all.
"No." Sirella replied. "And it only called your name. A fair warning: If this thing tries to eat your face, I'm not going to help you."
"Thanks, Sirella, that warms my heart." That's when Paula suddenly stopped and looked at a closed door. "This is it. Guess your prayers are coming true. Once we have Zeratul, we can head home." She pressed the button right next to the door, which sprung open while producing a sickening sound of screeching metal. Both Paula and Sirella winced when they heard that sound.
"Ugh..." Paula groaned. "Sounds like the scream of the damned! Someone forgot to oil this thing." It didn't stop her from stepping through the door and into the darkness. The small glowing crystal that was accompanying her followed her inside. So did Sirella, after cursing herself once more for having ventured to this place with Paula in the first place.
"What is this place?" the Protoss whined. Whatever this place was, it was big. So big that even the light of the small crystal couldn't illuminate it all.
"This is the lab." Paula explained. "This is where they stored the good stuff. Don't worry, Zeratul should be here. Just where is that damn light-switch. Ah, here it..." Suddenly the lights were turned on and you could actually hear Paula's confusion when she looked around. "...is?"
"For a lab..." Sirella mused. "...this looks a lot like a bar."
"Aw, crap..." was all Paula could reply when suddenly...
...Sarah didn't have to knock in order to know that Raynor was on the other side of the door. She could sense his presence. And it wasn't just him. There were a bunch of people, and all of them seemed to be...happy?
The Ghost stopped in front of the door and a frown appeared on her face. The people on the other side of the door were indeed happy. That alone wasn't something unusual. Both she and Raynor had just returned from a mission. And so had many other soldiers. It was only natural for people to be happy and relieved to return in one piece after an intense battle. However, what Sarah felt wasn't just happiness or relief. It was closer to merriment. Now, Sarah wasn't exactly good with emotions, but that only applied to her own. Still, sensing this sort of joy was unexpected. And if there's one thing a trained sniper and assassin hates, then it's to walk into a situation that they know nothing about.
Usually Sarah didn't like to scan other people's minds. The things you see are usually the things that you don't want to know anything about. But right now, she pushed her personal reservations aside and reached out with her senses in order to get a clear picture on what was going on at the other side of that door. And what she sensed was...
"Oh, this is gonna be awesome!"
"I never thought Mengsk would allow this."
"That looks so utterly stupid, I love it."
"This is exactly what this ship needed."
"Man, the Marshal sure knows how to have a good time."
"I just hope that no one will rip us a new one for that."
The voices of men and women echoed through Sarah's mind. Yet in the end it caused just more confusion. Just what the hell were they doing? The frown on her face showed signs of frustration. Even though she didn't want to, she decided to search for one specific mind. It wasn't hard to find him, James Raynor's brain was like a bag full of cats. All she had to do was to search for the twirl of emotions and random thoughts that were more chaotic than, well, something that is very chaotic. And when she did...
"Lalala, some color here, some chairs there, a table and some good music. Oh yeah, I should charge money for people to hang out here! I don't want to brag or anything, but damn: I'm a genius!" Jim's thoughts echoed through Sarah's mind. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips when she noticed that he was producing most of the childlike glee that she had sensed earlier. This man was unlike any man she had ever met before. Their first meeting had been...interesting. To say the least. But, over the course of the last few weeks, Raynor had proven himself to be a reliable asset. And that was something that Sarah appreciated. Especially since he had never shown any signs of wanting to betray her or something like that.
Pretty much every person she knew tried to either stay away from her, or thought about how to get rid of her. A part of Sarah couldn't blame them. There was a reason why ghosts were feared and loathed, and she was pretty much the undisputed alpha among the ghosts. However, while she could understand their caution, it also caused her nothing but trouble. Every time Sarah was forced to work with someone, she had to make sure that they weren't thinking about double crossing her. It had happened before. Several times actually. Some had followed orders, others had been driven by fears. And a few spectacular stupid ones had thought that ending a ghost would earn them the praise of their comrades and superiors.
Let's just say that killing those people wasn't much of a burden on Sarah's consciousness.
There was only one person that accepted her the way she was. And that was Arcturus Mengsk, the man that had saved her from the clutches of the Confederacy. Whenever she was alone with him, she could drop her defenses and relax. It was precious moments where she didn't have to be careful and afraid of someone trying to betray her. At least that's how it used to be.
Because now there was another man who made her feel as if she could just relax and lower her defenses.
And that man was James Raynor, who was...
"Better get this done soon, I think I need to poop."
...nevermind.
Sarah shuddered when she heard the one thought that caused her to curse her abilities. She was about to press the button right next to the door, but then she hesitated. People. There were so many people on the other side of the door. She didn't like people. Most of them were shallow and arrogant. They feared what they didn't understand, yet they showed no interest in learning things in order to overcome those fears. Perhaps she should wait. Perhaps there would be a better time to tell him what she wanted to tell him. However, she also knew that she was just stalling because of her own personal feelings. Yes, she didn't like people. But not all of them. Besides, all she wanted to do was to thank him. Nothing more. Since they had already established the foundation of their relationship, Sarah was certain that he wouldn't mistake her gesture for the attempt to start a romantic relationship.
God, that thought alone caused Sarah to shake her head.
She had never truly considered a romantic relationship. But if she would have, James Raynor wouldn't be on the list of people that she considered interesting. That man, while honest and reliable, was simply too frustrating. The very thought that they could be more than comrades was utterly ridiculous.
So why was she stalling? She could tolerate people for a while. And she knew that she wasn't interested in Raynor. Yet why did she have to force herself to face him?
"This is ridiculous. Head in the game, girl!" she snarled at herself and pressed the button. The door to the empty storage-room opened and she stepped inside. And when she looked around...
"You gotta be kidding me!" Sarah Kerrigan gasped.
"Hey! HEY!" Raynor barked at a group of mechanics. "That thing goes over there! Next to the bar!" The bar? Yes, the bar. Sarah watched in disbelief how Raynor stood on a table while directing people around. They were busy putting other tables, chairs and whatnot everywhere. Someone was even busy installing a huge screen on the wall. This place looked like a mess, yet you could already see what it was supposed to be. James Raynor had taken an empty-storage room on board of Mengsk's flagship that was designed to hold armor-piercing ammunition...
...and had turned into a goddamn bar.
"Be careful with that!" Jim shouted. Four men were busy carrying something big that was covered with a blanket. It reminded Sarah of a fridge.
"This thing is heavy, boss!" one of the men moaned. "We could have used a goddamn power armor for this!"
"Nu-uh!" Jim shot back. "That thing is delicate. I won't have anyone throw it around like a brick! Oh no!" That statement earned him a groan from the men, who clearly just wanted to toss that heavy thing into a corner and be done with it.
All Sarah could do was to stare at the scene right in front of her with a dumbfounded expression on her face. Sure, it made sense for a guy like Raynor to hang out in a bar. But there was a difference in finding a bar...
...or building one yourself.
This man clearly had to get his priorities checked.
"Hey there, watch it, Missy!" someone suddenly barked right behind Sarah. She cursed herself for not noticing someone approaching her like that and stepped aside. A bulky guy carrying a huge crate walked past her. The sound of glass hitting glass reminded her of a chime. Sarah wondered what was inside that crate and-
"Yo, Marshal! Where do you want the booze?" the man shouted.
The booze. Of course.
"Over there, put it behind the bar. We deal with that later, once everything's done." Raynor yelled back. "Oh, and I ain't no marshal no more. So stop calling me like that."
"Sure thing, Marshal!" the guy replied, which caused Raynor to sigh. Clearly, he was busy right now. Well, coming here had been a bad idea anyway. Sarah realized that she should just turn around and leave. Even she would act normal, then-
"Yo, Kerrigan!" Raynor's voice echoed through the bar and all the heads turned around. When Sarah felt the gazes of everyone and their grandmother resting on her, she could feel how her index-finger started to twitch. Good thing that she wasn't carrying her sniper-rifle right now. People staring at her always made her so nervous. Sarah could feel how the mood inside the room changed the moment they recognized her.
"It's her..."
"Damn it, what does she want here?"
"Great, now we're screwed."
"The way she looks...I wonder if she knows what I'm thinking right now."
"Pretty face for such a killer."
"Damn freak..."
By now Sarah was used to that. She couldn't even blame these people. To them, she was probably just as much of an alien than those Zerg or Protoss that had attacked their homes only recently. Maybe even more so, since she looked human, but was so much more on the inside. Sarah was about to turn around when.
"Sarah, wazzup? Come here, you're just in time!" Raynor yelled.
"Hope she didn't hear me thinking that I need to poop." Raynor thought.
"Ugh..." Sarah sighed.
Yeah, there was no way that she and that guy would ever be anything than comrades.
The ghost truly considered to just leave, but as she watched Raynor standing on that table, waving with his hand like a three-year-old, she dropped her shoulders in defeat and slumped towards the man. The other people tried to stay away from her, which suited her just fine. All she wanted to do was to tell Raynor something, and then she would be gone. The former Marshal climbed down from the table and grinned like an idiot when Sarah finally reached him.
"And?" he asked.
"And what?"
"How do you like it?" Raynor wanted to know.
"Like what?" That question earned Sarah an annoyed sigh from Raynor. He knew exactly that she knew what he was talking about. You know, being psionically gifted and all.
"The bar, Sarah. How do you like it?"
Sarah...
Oh boy. She really wished he would stop calling her by her first name. It just made her feel...uneasy.
"It's..." Sarah looked around and tried to be as nice as possible. "...a dump."
Well, no one could accuse her of being a liar.
"Yeah, well, that much is true." Jim admitted. "We still have to hook up the TV. And we don't have any glasses yet, so I can only offer you a bottle of beer and-"
"We ain't got beer yet, only booze!" someone yelled from the other side of the "bar".
"...well, I can offer you a bottle of booze." Raynor sighed.
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass." Sarah replied with a dry tone in her voice. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and bit on her lip. "I haven't come here to hang out with you guys anyway, I just wanted to tell you something, Raynor."
"Hehehe, Raynor? Aw, come on! Call me Jim! You did so during the last mission." When Sarah heard that, she could feel how her frustrations started to spike. This man simply always had to do everything his way. My way or the highway.
"Fine..." Sarah growled. "...Jim." The moment she used his first name, a goofy grin appeared on his face and she immediately regretted listening to his request. "Listen, I don't want to waste your time here. I just wanted to tell you that..." She took a deep breath and looked away. "...you handled yourself well during the mission on Ramelow."
"Huh?" Jim just muttered a bit perplexed. "Wait...was that just a compliment?"
"Don't get used to it." Sarah said without missing a heartbeat. "It's just..." She then turned her head away in order to not look Raynor...Jim into the eyes.
"It's just?" the former Marshal asked. "Just what?"
God, why was this man so frustrating? Even though he wasn't even trying to tease her, Sarah still felt as if he was making fun of her attempt to be more civil towards him. Couldn't he just appreciate the fact that she was talking more than three words with him?
Apparently not.
"I'm...just not used to have someone watch my back. Someone who isn't hellbent on, well..." Sarah muttered.
"Trying to get in your pants?" Jim suggested. Sarah's eyes shot back and she stared at him in anger, but then she noticed his embarrassed smile and she realized what he was talking about. That idiot was still feeling sorry for what had happened during their first meeting.
Cute, really.
"I was about to say: Leaving me behind in order to fend for myself." Sarah then replied. "Believe it or not: There aren't that many people that want to get into my pants."
"Eh, I find that hard to believe." Jim mused. "Given how pretty you are and everything. Uhm...not that I want to imply that...egh, I better shut up now." Those words actually caused Sarah to snicker.
"Oh boy, you really do suck when it comes to compliments." she told him and Jim shrugged his shoulders. Now he was turning his head away so she couldn't see the embarrassment on his face.
"Yeah, well, what can I say? I get nervous around beautiful and strong women." he mumbled. That comment actually caught Sarah by surprise and she didn't really know what to say. It was a pretty simple compliment, yes. But at the same time Sarah could sense that Jim was telling her nothing but the truth. It was...perplexing.
Usually people would call her a freak. If not behind her back, then at least inside the safety of their own minds. However, Jim's mind was free of such thoughts.
There was a long and awkward moment of silence when neither one of them knew what to say or to do next. Sarah lowered her gaze and her fingers started to pull at her ghost-suit. Even when she was off-duty, she still preferred to wear this thing. Not just because it meant that she was always combat ready. But the suit also intimidated others who otherwise might get the wrong idea. Everyone that looked at her knew immediately what she was.
Well, as long as they knew what a ghost was, that is.
"Well..." Sarah mumbled.
"Yeah..." Jim agreed, even though he had no idea what she was trying to tell him.
"Anyway, I wanted to thank you for...being a good comrade." The moment those words left Sarah's mouth, a surprised look appeared on Jim's face. It was definitely surprising, but there was something else. Sadness? It was hard to tell, yet Sarah didn't feel like probing his mind again. She had started to respect that man, she didn't want to ruin that by giving in into her distrust of human beings in general.
"Comrade, eh? Heh...guess I take that." Jim replied. "Thanks. Should you ever need someone to watch your back, just give me a call. I'll be there." Sarah opened her mouth, ready to say something when suddenly-
"Watch it!" someone yelled and that's when something heavy landed on the floor. Jim turned around and groaned when he noticed that it was the huge object the other men had been carrying towards the bar.
"Gawddammit!" he cursed. "I told you to be careful! That thing is an antique!" He stomped over to the guys and the object that was still covered by a blanket. This was the perfect opportunity to leave, Sarah knew that. She had told Jim what she had wanted to tell him, there was no reason to stick around anymore. Especially since all the other people seemed to be less than thrilled to have her around. However...
"Seriously, if you guys broke this thing, then I'm gonna break you!" Jim growled and pushed one of the men aside.
"First you tell us to carry that thing over there, then over there, and now to the bar. In case you didn't notice: we are not moving guys." the man protested.
"Don't complain, I wanted to know from where the sound would be the best." Jim shot back and knelt down beside the huge object. "Ah, damn. Hey, baby. Did those bad men hurt you?" Against better judgment, Sarah decided to sate her curiosity and stepped closer. She looked over Jim's shoulder and frowned. Just what the hell was that thing?
"Well, at least help me to get this thing back on its feet." Jim protested when the men turned away.
"Bah, forget it! My back's killing me. No music is worth that much trouble." another man growled and they stomped away.
"Man, aren't they a bag of fun?" Jim whispered to himself before sighing and looking up. "I know it's not nice to ask a lady for help...but could you lend me a hand, please?"
"I'm not going to carry that thing around." Sarah replied.
"You don't have to. I just want to get it back on its feet. This place is as good as any." he told her. Sarah knew that she should just reject his offer. She should just turn around and leave. She had told him what he needed to know. There was no need for her to become any more familiar with this man. The professional relationship between them was serving its purpose, there was no need to become acquainted.
Yet...
"Men." Sarah sighed. "If you want something done right, leave it to a woman." She knelt down right next to Jim and helped him to push the heavy object back on its feet.
"Amen to that!" Jim replied with a strained smile. The object was actually pretty darn heavy, yet Sarah had no idea what it was. An ammo box maybe? No, what she felt beneath the sheet was wood, not metal. There was something moving inside that thing as they were putting it back on its feet. When they were done, Sarah made a step backward and frowned.
"Just what the hell is that thing anyway?" she finally asked.
"That, my dear, is probably my most precious possession." Jim replied, grabbed the sheet, and pulled it away. "Tadaaaa!" When Sarah looked at that object...
...she had no idea what it was.
"I repeat my question: What the hell is that thing anyway?" the ghost wanted to know and tilted her head to the side. That's when she noticed Jim's disbelief. She looked at him and a frown appeared on her face. "What?"
"I don't believe it." he muttered. "It's a jukebox!"
"A whatnow?"
"A jukebox! Come on, you know what a jukebox is. You're just trying to make fun of me." Jim sighed, but Sarah only shrugged her shoulders.
"Sorry, but I have no idea what a jukebox is. Some kind of...fridge?" she mused and earned another disbelieving look from Jim.
"Wow, just...wow." was his reply. "But you do know what music is, right?"
"Of course I know what music is. I'm not stupid." Sarah shot back with an annoyed look on her face. "So, this is some kind of...instrument?" When Jim heard that question, he opened his mouth, but then he hesitated.
"You know what?" he then said. "I'm gonna show you." He then walked around the jukebox, grabbed the cable and plugged it into a socket right next to it.
Sarah didn't really know what to expect. The moment Jim pressed a button, this jukebox-thing came to life and produced a number of weird sounds. Even though the ghost knew that this thing was harmless, she nevertheless made a step back. And then another one. And another one. You know, so she wouldn't be inside the blast-radius. There was an audible click and then...
"...and AAAAAAAA-IAAAAAAAAA-I... will always love you-UUUUHUUUUU yeah..." the voice of woman suddenly echoed through the bar-in-progress. All heads inside the room turned around and Sarah watched how Jim pressed the off-button with the speed of light. There was a long and awkward moment of silence and when he looked at Sarah, she didn't even have to read his mind to know how embarrassed he was.
"You didn't hear that." he just mumbled.
Sarah actually had to bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh out loud. From the other side of the room, one of the men started to sing something.
"If I should stay..." he began.
"...I would only be in your way..."
Sarah had obviously no idea about this song, but she realized that the other people did. Because the moment he was done, someone else continued the song.
"I'll think of you...every step of the way!"
Then there was another moment of silence and Sarah could see how Jim muttered the same thing over and over again.
"...pleasestoppleasestoppleasestop..." Unfortunately, his wish wasn't granted. Because that's when several guys started to sing at the same time.
"And I... will always love you."
"I will always love you!"
"You, my darling you, hemmmm..."
Jim hid his face behind his hands so no one could see his shame and embarrassment. Around them, the others continued to sing. Suddenly the whole room was singing that damn song.
"Bittersweet memories..."
"That's all I'm taking with me."
"So, goodbye!"
"Please don't cry."
"We both know I'm not what you neeeeeeeed."
"Oh, for the love of God..." Jim whined. "Please, someone put me out of my misery already!" However, his plight was not yet over. Pretty much everyone inside the room then started to sing the next lines as loud and obnoxious as possible. The result was both hilarious and horrible at the same time, because no one of those guys could actually sing.
"AND IAAAAAA-IAAAAAAA-I!"
"WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU-UUUHUHUHUHUUUUUU!"
Sarah watched with a mixture of amazement and surprise how these men butchered the song while Jim was dying of embarrassment. And when they were about to sing the verse...
"Out! OUT! All of you! Get out here before I get really mad!" Jim screamed and hushed everyone out of the room. The men started to laugh like crazy and allowed the former Marshal to kick them out.
"Way to go, loverboy!" someone yelled.
"If you two wanted some time for yourself, then you should have just said so!"
"Hey, should we put a "do not disturb"-sign on the other side of the door?" a man asked, only to be pushed out of the room by Jim.
"No, thanks! I'll handle the rest myself!" he snarled.
"Oh, I'm sure you do, Cowboy!" one guy chuckled. "Just remember: AND IA-IIIAAAAAA!" The door was slammed shut when Jim hit the button right next to it. Unfortunately, you could still hear the voices of countless men singing on the other side. There was little doubt in anyone's mind that they would roam the entire ship now, torturing every poor soul with that song.
There was a long and awkward moment of silence and when Jim finally turned back around...
"Yeah, well, uhm...sorry 'bout that." he muttered. He was still embarrassed.
"I must admit..." Sarah chuckled. "...I didn't take you for the romantic type." Jim slumped past her and pressed a few buttons on the jukebox.
"You'd be surprised." he laughed. "That song, well, I guess hiding things from you is pretty pointless. Still, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone that I sing this song under the shower from time to time."
"Cute. Really." Sarah whispered. And this time, there was only a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
That man was truly unlike any man she had ever met before.
"Uh, give me a second." Jim mumbled. He worked his way through the menu of the jukebox until he found something that would help him redeem his manly pride. He pressed the play-button again until...
"Big wheels keep on turning..." a very different song started to play.
"Carry me home to see my kin."
"Singing songs about the south-land."
"I miss 'ole' 'bamy once again and I think it's a sin..."
"Much better, wouldn't you agree?" Jim asked Sarah, who only shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm not that much into music." she admitted. "Though I have to admit: How the color of your face turned into beet red was highly amusing."
"Yeah, well, guess I will have to live with the guys making fun of that for a while." Jim sighed and walked over to the bar. This was the perfect moment to leave, Sarah knew that. However, when she looked over her shoulder and at the door, she realized that the situation had changed. Before this little song-disaster, most people had been inside this room. Now they were outside, making fun of Jim's odd taste in music. And Sarah, not being a people-person, realized that being inside the bar would be the better choice.
"Just my luck..." she whispered.
"Well, guess the TV has to wait." Jim muttered when he opened a box and pulled out a bottle. "Still, might as well celebrate this moment. Care to join me?" Sarah looked back at him, only to see how he was holding two empty glasses in his one hand, and one bottle of booze in the other. Her first instinct was to say "No.". But with all the people outside the bar, she didn't want to leave this place right now. And then there was Jim himself. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find even the slightest sign of ill-intend. And so she sighed and finally relented.
"Fine. But no drinks for me. There might still be a mission coming up." she told him.
"Heh, there's always a mission coming up, Sarah." he told her and sat down at a table. Sarah hesitated for a second, but then she grabbed a chair and sat down right next to him. Jim filled his own glass and he did the same with hers.
"I said I don't want to-" she protested but was cut short by Jim.
"Eh, quit your fuzzing. The galaxy can give us a break for at least one evening."
"I don't think that-"
"Sarah, just stop being yourself for ten minutes, will you? Come on, one drink. It's not like I'm trying to get you drunk in order to sleep with you."
…
…
…
When Jim noticed Sarah's cold expression, he realized the stupidity of his statement.
"That was a joke." he muttered.
"Your jokes suck." Sarah replied.
"Yeah, I heard that before. Well, cheers!" And then Jim grabbed his drink...
...and downed it in one go.
"That can't be healthy." Sarah whispered and looked at her own glass. She had no idea what that stuff was, yet by the time she was sniffing at it, Jim had already downed his second shot.
"Ah! That's some good stuff!" he sighed and went for another refill. Well, this stuff couldn't be that potent since Jim was downing it like water. So, what could go wrong? Sarah placed the glass against her lips and took the slightest sip before-
"GHAAAAA! IT BURNS!" the ghost gargled. She managed to place the glass on the table, grabbed her throat and fell off the chair before howling in pain and misery. Next to her, Jim was enjoying his fourth shot while a smug grin appeared on his face.
"Gotcha. That's what you get for dropping your guard. Thehehehe..."
They didn't end up drunk and having sex that evening. No, that would happen three days later. Only without the drunk-part. However, that day Sarah learned a valuable lesson, one that she would forget on several occasions...
...alcohol and Sarah Kerrigan aren't a good match to begin with.
"Heh, look at that..." Paula whispered as her hand brushed over the jukebox. "Now that would be the perfect present."
"Before you even think about it..." Sirella mumbled right behind her. "...I won't carry that thing. If you want to take it with you, you have to do it yourself."
"Don't sweat it, big girl." Paula replied. "We didn't come here for that."
"Thank Tassadar." the Protoss sighed. "Also, Protoss don't sweat." However, Paula wasn't even listening. Instead, she walked through the bar and sucked in every detail. To everyone else, this place looked like a dead and abandoned relic of a time long since gone. However, Paula could still feel the afterglow of what had transpired here all those ages ago. The good...
...and the bad.
Paula stopped in front of one table and brushed with her fingers over the cold metal.
"What happened to Kerrigan wasn't your fault..." long forgotten words echoed through her mind.
"Which part? Where she got left behind...or where she murdered eight billion people?" Paula whispered and closed her eyes. It was probably one of the most painful memories that dwelled in this place.
They had never kept this part of their lives hidden from Paula. But even then, it was hard to comprehend. The people that she called her parents and the people that had lived those lives...sometimes it felt as if they were completely different persons.
One thing Paula had learned at a very young age was that sometimes things were never that simple. And if you aren't careful, the past can consume you. She remembered all those lectures well. But standing in this place...
...it was as if the past was trying to pull her down, like a heavy blanket.
It almost felt like swimming in the ocean with your clothes still on. All that water turning the fabric heavy until it was pulling you down, away from the sun and into a place that was both cold and dark. The number of bad memories still lingering in this place were outweighing the good ones by far. The only exception was that jukebox, which felt like a beacon of light in a sea of darkness.
Almost like a lighthouse...
That thought put a smile on Paula's face. It was a nice sentiment, one that helped her to hush those dark thoughts away.
It was nice to believe that everything was sugar and rainbow. However, the reality was a tad bit different. Those two had endured a lot. They had suffered a lot. And they had inflicted a lot of pain. Her uncle once had told Paula that "probably the most painful moment in the life of a child is when they realize that their parents are just beings made out of flesh and blood, and just as flawed as everyone else". And even with Paula's unique background...
...she had to agree with that statement.
"I wonder..." Paula whispered while her fingers wandered over the ancient wood of the jukebox. She found a button and pressed it. At first nothing happened. But then...
"All my bags are packed..." the jukebox began to sing and a gentle smile appeared on Paula's face. Behind her Sirella's eyes widened in surprise.
"That song, isn't that...?" But Paula wasn't even listening. Instead, she closed her eyes and hummed the melody while the song continued.
"I'm ready to go..."
"I'm standin' here outside the door."
"I hate to wake you up to say goodbye..."
Paula opened her mouth and wanted to sing along when suddenly the voice of a man echoed through the bar. Her eyes widened in surprise, yet instead of turning around, all she could do was to stare at the wall right in front of her.
"But the dawn is breakin'..."
"It's early morn'."
"The taxi's waitin'..."
"He's blowin' his horn."
"Already I'm so lonesome..."
"I could die..." Marshal Dan Bowski sang while leaning against the doorframe.
"So kiss me and smile for me."
"Tell me that you'll wait for me."
"Hold me like you'll never let me go." he continued.
"'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane."
"Don't know when I'll be back again."
"Oh babe, I hate to go."
The song continued, yet Bowski left it to the jukebox to sing the rest. He waited until it was over, and then silence filled the room.
"You're full of surprises, Dan." Paula whispered without looking at him. "Didn't think you would know that song."
"I'm full of surprises." the Marshal replied with a surprisingly calm tone in his voice. "And I must admit that this song almost makes me not angry at you running off on your own again. Almost."
"By now you shouldn't be surprised." the young woman mumbled. There was a faint smile on her face.
"I'm not. I knew that you would try something like that. I'm done yelling at you, Kerrigan. You think this is all a game and great fun, right? Well, the show's over. I'm gonna take Janice back to town, and you two will come along. I will drop you out at the Magistrate's office and tell her that you are insufferable. And I don't care if the Magistrate will rip me a new one for that. You're more trouble than you're worth." Bowski then looked at Sirella. "Sorry, but that includes you. I know that it isn't your fault, but I want to keep the two of you together. If only to make sure that you don't run into different directions."
"It's okay." Sirella sighed. "I'm used to it."
"I'm sure you are." the Marshal sighed. "Come on, let's go. You wasted enough of my time, Kerrigan."
"Charming as always, I see." Paula mumbled. "Just go ahead without us, we'll be right behind you." And that was exactly the one thing Dan didn't want to hear.
"Screw that!" he barked and stomped over to Paula. He placed his hand on her shoulder and made her turn around so he could look straight into her eyes. However, when he saw her face...
"What the hell?" Dan mumbled. Perhaps he hadn't expected Paula to cry. But what he certainly hadn't expected...
...was that her tears looked like they were made out of gold.
Dan didn't show any fear, only confusion.
"Guess my secret's out." Paula whispered. "Well, don't mind me. Like said, I can handle this myself." However, Dan wasn't really in the mood for her cryptic behavior.
"What is this? Why are your tears glowing?" the Marshal asked. "Is that some kind of new trend on Korhal?" he wanted to know, referring to all the strange and weird stuff the people did to themselves in order to be prettier.
"It runs in the family." Paula replied and brushed a tear off her cheek.
"Uhm...you guys?" Sirella suddenly mumbled and stumbled away from them.
"Let's go. I want you to be gone as soon as possible." However, that's when they heard a new voice echoing through the bar.
"Kerrrigaaaaaaaannnn..."
Bowski noticed how Paula's eyes widened in surprise when she looked at something behind him.
"Uhm...Dan? You might want to turn around." she suggested to him.
"Oh, harr harr. Good one." the Marshal shot back. "Seriously, that's the oldest trick in the book. And it isn't even a very good one. How about." However, that's when he felt how something touched his leg. "Huh?" He looked down and what he saw made virtually no sense.
Was that...a tentacle?
"The hell?" the Marshal managed to whisper. However, before he could react, the tentacle wrapped itself around his ankle...
...and yanked him back.
"GHA!" Dan gasped when he was swept off his feet. Everything was happening way too fast for him to react. He tried to grab is gun, but that's when the tentacles pulled him away from Kerrigan and towards the exit. Everything was happening so fast, all he could do was to grab the door frame and look at both Sirella and Paula.
"Help!" he managed to gasp when the tentacle yanked him away. Bowski's screams echoed through the darkness and when he was finally gone...
"Well, that was random." Paula muttered and turned away as if nothing had happened.
"That...I... uhm...Paula? WHAT IN TASSADAR'S NAME WAS THAT?!" Sirella screamed in terror. "The Marshal! The Marshal just got eaten by a monster!"
"Don't worry." her friend just replied. "He's fine. Then again, now we can go and look for Zeratul without him breathing down our necks! Come on, let's head for the lab." And with that, Paula simply walked towards the door as nothing had happened.
"Paula!" Sirella whined. "Didn't you see what just happened? We have to do something!"
"Sure." Paula replied. "Once I got Zeratul. After that we're gonna get the Marshal and-" However, that's when Sirella stepped into Paula's path.
"We are going to get him now!" the young Protoss declared with a surprisingly tough tone in her voice. Paula just sighed when she heard that.
"Don't worry, Sirella. He's fine. Trust me. Besides, even if he gets infested by accident, then I know how to fix him." the young woman explained. Naturally, that wasn't helpful at all.
"Paula!" Sirella mumbled. "This isn't right!" Paula looked up and her friend into the eyes. And after a while...
"Ach, fine." the young woman relented. "Saving the Marshal first it is. Geez, don't you dare to ever say that I don't take care of my friends." And with that, Paula walked past Sirella and turned right.
"The thing pulled him the other way, Paula!" Sirella barked and Paula turned around immediately.
"Right, the other way. I got this, no sweat. What could possibly go wrong?"
Oh boy...