p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri;"The market was filled with noise, color, and mouth watering smells, for once Ford had honest money to spend and not a wanted posting in sight. He was new to this dimension and he thrilled at all the new sights and sounds, for a moment his guard drops and he is absorbed in his observations. He studies the stalls their contents, the nature of the venders, he watches the exchanges between venders and customers, the delicate social interaction of haggling and payment exchange. He took note of everything memorizing every detail, the way the natives' secondary hands would clasp and nod at the conclusion of negotiations, how the antennae of the venders would twitch and turn as they studied the crowed for potential customers. Ford noted the subtle coloring of the natives faces how the vibrant colors would pulsate with the same energy of the individual's gestures. Ford himself only drew a little attention he is not the only non-native in the market, he is still drastically outnumbered by the native peoples of the dimension they swarm around him in a swirl of vibrant colors and chirping clicks of their language. Nearby a fryer releasing a hissing cloud of steam filled with tang of seasonings and cooking meat. The smell reminds Ford why he has ventured out into this crowded market, his stomach growls loudly. Flames flair in the cooking fire of another food vender vegetables and meat sent flying into the air only to be caught skillfully in the pan once again, a testament to the vender's skill and confidence. Ford watches knowing that the movement repeated, over and over again is not just an act of showmanship but an important part of the cooking process. The tossing motion prevents food from resting to long on the hot pan, this allows the vender to run his fire hotter and cook the food faster. Ford digs a handful of coins from his pocket and purchases some of the hot steaming food, the vender wraps the mess in an edible wrapper with practiced efficiency and hands over the food. Turning back into the crowed he considers the brightly clad natives realizing that his own dark clothes makes him stand out in this dimension so filled with vibrant colors. The magenta sun makes normally subdued colors shine and pop, lost in contemplation he pulls down the scarf covering his face and takes a bite of his meal. He pauses at a fruit stand and considers the produce, noting the vibrant colors, he takes another bite lost in his contemplations and half formed hypothesis. Taking into the consideration the dramatic coloring of the plant life of this dimension it is possible that the bright colors are more effective camouflaged than the more reserved greens and browns Ford favors. He spares a glance to the sun, in what way dose this sun differ from his own, that so many colors would be produced from the process of photosynthesis? Or is he making an assumption, perhaps he diversity and vibrancy of colors has nothing to do with the strange star but in the soil content? He glances down and digs a tow into the soil contemplative, soil content affects flower coloring back home, perhaps it's like that, or maybe it's a combination? He steps out of the main stream and kneels scooping up a small sample, he straightens shifting the dirt over his fingers feeling it noting the colors and textures, the dampness. He takes another bite of his food, automatically not really paying attention anymore, samples he should collect samples from different locations. He begins walking again, the market soil would be a poor sample, to many foreign influences, the constant foot traffic making the ground to hard and hostile for plant life. He continues to chew forgetting he had already swallowed his last bite of food the remainder of his meal clutched in his hand nearly forgotten. Where could he find suitable samples, dose he have what he needs to improvise a microscope? /p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri;" His hood is yanked back off his head, a massive hand clamps down on his shoulder and Ford is yanked back to the present. His head jerks up, the remainder of his food and the handful of dirt tumble out of his grasp. The grip on his shoulder is like iron, everything seems to shift into slow motion. He is being pulled back into an empty ally, a massive arm is being wrapped around his neck, words are being growled at him but he doesn't understand them. He doesn't need to understand, he acts, Ford takes a large step back unbalancing his attacker at the same time his arm comes up breaking the chock hold, and then he's turning, twisting out of the iron grip. Ford is even deeper in the alley further away from a quick escape but he is out of his attackers reach and that's a step in the right direction. His hand sweeps back his jacket and draws his gun his mouth set in a grim smile "not today" it's a simple declaration he makes as he aims his gun his trigger finger tensing./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri;" Something slams into his gun hand and his shot goes off into the sky harmless. Ford reacts side stepping a second assailant only to be tackled by the first one. He slides backward struggling to keep his feet under him as he's slammed into the alley wall and his gun is sent skidding across the ground, a fist drives itself into Fords stomach. Ford clasps his hands together and drives them hard against the bounty hunters back, and then the second hunter is on him. Ford twists pulling one of his attackers with him twisting the being around as he uses the bulky figure as a shield. His gun is in the dirt not far away, he's out numbered all these two bounty hunters need to do is stop him from getting away and wear him down. The weapon in the dirt just out of reach is what Ford focuses on as he wrestles to break free, that gun was his equalizer. With a heave, Ford throws his shield into the other hunter and dives for his gun. He slides in the dirt his hand fumbling with the weapons grip, behind him the two being struggle and fumble to come after him. Ford can feel them looming over him as he grips the gun he rolls and fires. The two figures fall, Ford pants there in the dirt but a distant shout bring him out of his daze, these two might not be alone. More goons could be on their way, he scrambles to his feet and runs for the alley entrance. The bright colors and friendly chatter of the min thoroughfare beckon to him promising safety and a quick getaway lost in a dense crowed. Even as his heart races with exhilaration he lets out a sigh of relief his run settling into a steady rhythm as he picked up speed./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri;" The market was right there, the bright happy colors a sharp contrast to the sudden violence Ford was fleeing from. All thoughts of soil samples and scientific exploration are long forgotten as plans to get out of this dimension take priority. The thought saddens Ford, he liked this dimension the people were kind and the world was beautiful but he couldn't afford to stay could risk capture. Pain, fire works go off in Fords skull as hespan lang="X-NONE"collide/spans with something as solid as a wall. Stunned Ford falls to the ground, he can taste blood, his glasses are lost washing the world around him into blurry abstracts, his eyes watering his brain screaming in pain he squints. He can almost make out a slight haze in the air before him weakly reaches hand and feels the solid surface it hums slightly with a pulsating warmth. Unconsciousness was slowly claiming Ford his brain sluggishly trying to make sense of running into a wall that he can't see. Large figures toward over Ford he tried to rise, tried to put up a resistance as hands grabbed him. Weakly he tries to get his feet under himself, but he only manages to trace zigzags in the ground as he's dragged away. Darkness descends as Ford loses his fight to unconsciousness, he's barely aware of the chilling sensation as a stasis pod closes around him and activates./p
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p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri;" His hood is yanked back off his head, a massive hand clamps down on his shoulder and Ford is yanked back to the present. His head jerks up, the remainder of his food and the handful of dirt tumble out of his grasp. The grip on his shoulder is like iron, everything seems to shift into slow motion. He is being pulled back into an empty ally, a massive arm is being wrapped around his neck, words are being growled at him but he doesn't understand them. He doesn't need to understand, he acts, Ford takes a large step back unbalancing his attacker at the same time his arm comes up breaking the chock hold, and then he's turning, twisting out of the iron grip. Ford is even deeper in the alley further away from a quick escape but he is out of his attackers reach and that's a step in the right direction. His hand sweeps back his jacket and draws his gun his mouth set in a grim smile "not today" it's a simple declaration he makes as he aims his gun his trigger finger tensing./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri;" Something slams into his gun hand and his shot goes off into the sky harmless. Ford reacts side stepping a second assailant only to be tackled by the first one. He slides backward struggling to keep his feet under him as he's slammed into the alley wall and his gun is sent skidding across the ground, a fist drives itself into Fords stomach. Ford clasps his hands together and drives them hard against the bounty hunters back, and then the second hunter is on him. Ford twists pulling one of his attackers with him twisting the being around as he uses the bulky figure as a shield. His gun is in the dirt not far away, he's out numbered all these two bounty hunters need to do is stop him from getting away and wear him down. The weapon in the dirt just out of reach is what Ford focuses on as he wrestles to break free, that gun was his equalizer. With a heave, Ford throws his shield into the other hunter and dives for his gun. He slides in the dirt his hand fumbling with the weapons grip, behind him the two being struggle and fumble to come after him. Ford can feel them looming over him as he grips the gun he rolls and fires. The two figures fall, Ford pants there in the dirt but a distant shout bring him out of his daze, these two might not be alone. More goons could be on their way, he scrambles to his feet and runs for the alley entrance. The bright colors and friendly chatter of the min thoroughfare beckon to him promising safety and a quick getaway lost in a dense crowed. Even as his heart races with exhilaration he lets out a sigh of relief his run settling into a steady rhythm as he picked up speed./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: medium; font-family: Calibri;" The market was right there, the bright happy colors a sharp contrast to the sudden violence Ford was fleeing from. All thoughts of soil samples and scientific exploration are long forgotten as plans to get out of this dimension take priority. The thought saddens Ford, he liked this dimension the people were kind and the world was beautiful but he couldn't afford to stay could risk capture. Pain, fire works go off in Fords skull as hespan lang="X-NONE"collide/spans with something as solid as a wall. Stunned Ford falls to the ground, he can taste blood, his glasses are lost washing the world around him into blurry abstracts, his eyes watering his brain screaming in pain he squints. He can almost make out a slight haze in the air before him weakly reaches hand and feels the solid surface it hums slightly with a pulsating warmth. Unconsciousness was slowly claiming Ford his brain sluggishly trying to make sense of running into a wall that he can't see. Large figures toward over Ford he tried to rise, tried to put up a resistance as hands grabbed him. Weakly he tries to get his feet under himself, but he only manages to trace zigzags in the ground as he's dragged away. Darkness descends as Ford loses his fight to unconsciousness, he's barely aware of the chilling sensation as a stasis pod closes around him and activates./p
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