Greetings y'all!

This is Chapter 1 in what might be a series if people like it. I really enjoyed The Outer Worlds and only recently have played in on XBOX Game Pass. (PC though). Loved the story and most of the characters and wanted to share with y'all some of the roleplay I did as I played the game. So please read, and if you enjoy give me a review. They massively make me what to write more. There are some obvious spelling mistakes here. Most of those are to denote the speaking style of the Captain. More could be explained in later chapters.

Chapter 1

Mother always said, "Never talk to strangers, unless they are dressed richer than you. That way you only go up the rungs of the status ladder and not down." Yeah… She was fuller of shit than almost anyone I have ever met. However, I would never have gone down on this adventure, and Law was it crazy one, if I had just followed her damn moronic self-serving advice. But hey! This is me. When did I ever listen to my mother?

"Dr. Fenhill, please don't cause a scene." Mfunu voiced whined wearily at her.

Bristling at the condensation, the red head gestured extravagantly, "I am not causing a scene." As the words left her lips, she heard the distinct hiss of the old bulkhead door opening. Being the asshole she was; she turned on the poor unsuspecting trio who entered the argument. "Am I causing a scene?"

If not for all her damnable training from Byzantium, her jaw would have dropped at the sight of the ridiculous man in front of her. It wasn't because of the two strangers on either side of him, although they were both exotic enough to get strange stares here on the Groundbreaker. The companions were as opposite as a Sprat and Cystypig. The male was pristinely clean, garbed in a deep royal navy suit tunic yet his stern hard lined face denoted nothing of the plush lifestyle of Byzantium. The girl was the male's complete opposite. Oval faced with curly hair haphazardly plopped on her head where every color of dirt or grease stain covered her shapeless overalls making discerning the original color of her clothes utterly impossible. Her eyes danced around with a joy which only came from deep unshaken innocence. 'Probably never seen the reality of life. All that bubbly happiness is disgusting. She'll learn eventually.'

However, the man she asked was the strangest of the trio though. Ellie felt if she wasn't so thrown off she would have laughed at the ridiculousness of the man in front of her. He was tall, over two meters, with average shoulders for his height and a trim body. His clothing was so stupid. He was clad in dark jeans over his toned legs with armor plates sewn into the area over the thighs and shins. His shirt was a maroon collared shirt and a ballistic vest over it with a small patch on the upper corner of the vest of a middle finger. None of this was stupid, but it was the coat. It was long dark grey duster that went down to his mid-shin and topped off with a dark grey broad brimmed hat.

The man tilted back his hat slightly as he placed his hands on his hips. Ellie noticed immediately the two Auto-Mag Pistols in their holsters. What stopped her laughter was his face. Chiseled jaw with a faint dusting of what could only be called scruff added character and soften the jawline which was sharp enough to cut through a raptidon's hide. His mouth was set in an almost imperceptible smirk with one side rising higher in his charming smile as there was an ugly fresh scar on the left side of his mouth that slide toward his jawline. His nose was well proportioned to his face, yet with some slight swelling they showed it had been punched recently.

She had seen many a pretty face, but none had eyes like this… They were deep grey, almost the color of his stupid hat and stupid duster, yet with ethereal violet-green shards dashing through the grey background. Like sea monsters slithering through the grey deeps of Terra 2's oceans. The eyes sharply darted around her face and almost seemed to assess her before she could take a breath.

The moment was ruined though… as his scarred mouth opened and a deep rich bass baritone voice drawled. "Hell ma'am… I recken' so." His eyes danced between her and Mfunu as he chuckled in a good-natured way. "Otherwise ya wouldn't accost helpless folks now would ya?"

Ellie felt herself blink hard at the man as he continued in his achily slow drawl looking at Mfuru. "Ya Doc Wanda Dorsett?"

This time Ellie felt really struck by the idiot, but she enjoyed watching the outrage on Mfuru's face even more about being called 'Wanda'. The middle age man was trying to maintain his monotone voice as much as possible to show his boredom and disinterest.

"Doctor Wanda Dorsett is in the next room, take the door to my right."

The tall man clapped his hands together as a big stupid grin showed his teeth causing Ellie to gasp. His perfectly white teeth. The man ignored her gasp and Mfuru's stare, as he guffawed. "Now aint that make me feel finer than a frog hair split four ways!" He ambled past them and clapped Mfuru heartly on the back causing the man to wince. "Thanks a ton mister!" And without another look opened the door and when into the med bay. His two friends seemed followed him in leaving Ellie and Mfuru staring at each other.

The silence went on for a few minutes before Ellie whispered. "What the fuck just happened?!"

Mfuru just glanced behind him briefly as they heard a loud laugh and a shushing sound from the other side followed by an equally loud baritone, "Oh my golly, my deepest apologies." And a fiercer shush.

Ellie took the moment to regain her control and her cool. Lighting her Stoogie, as her quick mind raced. She still needed to find out about Jessie, lack of knowledge in important times was almost as unpleasant as being in debt. 'But how can I turn this to my advantage?' An idea started to form in her mind and she smirked as she saw the big man duck through the door frame careful of his stupid hat.

"See Mfuru? We could've avoided all this unpleasantness if you'd just let me talk to Jessie in the first place."

The man looked between the two of them again before shrugging and starting to walk on by. As she thought she was going to no reaction from either of the men, the idiot stopped adjacent to her and his freaky eyes glanced sideways at hers.

"What's da matta about ya friend, Red?"

Alarm bells rang through her head at that hated word. "Let me get one thing straight – Jessie and I are not friends, I just owe her, okay?" Ellie took a quick breath before continuing and remembering she was the one in control her. "As for the rest, I'm trying to figure that out. All I know is that she's been here too long, and she's apparently not receiving visitors."

The man gave her a pristine toothy grin, "Well I'll be! Ain't you a peach! Lookin' in afta somebody who ain't even a friend. Pray tell, why ares you lookin' in after the little miss? Or is it mister? Can't rightly know nowadays." He took off his hat as he gestured toward the girl in his group with it. "Whatcha think Parvati? Guy or gal?"

Ellie just stared at the man as a deep set of unease settled over her, her stomach aching. No wonder the man wore a hat. His hair was completely unnatural. 'It's the color of pure gold! Yet, there are some streaks of red to it. But not like everyone's because of our diets or hair coloring. It looks… Law it looks natural! That is so weird! And that hair style?! Did he ask a Primal to take its claws to cut it? And why's his skin so pale?'

The girl next to him blushed scarlet but she bubbled out from the encouragement of the man's gentle smile. "Well Captain, maybe we should just ask her?"

The man, Captain, put his hat back on, hiding his golden hair again, and blinked his freakish eyes slowly. "I recken' so." He eyes rolled back toward Ellie. "So why?"

Ellie gave the man a sideways look. 'Surely, he can't be that dumb? I've met a lot of stupid people but this captain wins it all.' "You say that like it's weird."

Blonde eyebrows knotted together on the man's handsome face in baffled confusion. "Hella miss, because it is weird as a Cystypig! But ain't it right nobles of ya."

"Not noble at all." Ellie could feel a headache coming on at this man's complete idiocy. So… she took a long pull on her Stoogie. "I owe her one and I just don't like to leave a debt unpaid. That's all."

The man watched her his slow dumb face causing Ellie to loathe herself for even a moment being attracted to it on first meeting. Finally, he drawled. "Want me to look in on Jessie for ya?"

Mfuru glared between them. "Hello? I'm standing right here. No one is going to look in on Jessie."

Ellie and the Captain just ignored him as she processed. "Be my guest." She stated flippantly. "If you know something I don't about dealing with hospital bureaucracy, I'll be impressed."

Nothing prepared her for what came next the Captain plucked her Stoogie from her hand, took a deep pull of it, blew out the smoke slowly and handed it back to her. Ellie could feel her jaw loose and just stared at the man's complete audacity. But the Captain didn't seem to notice as he drawled, "Just wait here Red." And the sauntered out of the med bay with an embarrassed girl and smirking older man behind him.

Silence reigned supreme between Mfuru and her as they just stared at each other until the Stoogie in her hand started to burn her fingers. Crying out she dropped the butt and ground it with her boot. Pissed off she growled at Mfuru, "Who the fuck is that guy anyway?"

Shrugging Mfuru went back to work. "Not my concern that's who."

Minutes ticked by as Ellie pulled another Stoogie and lit it. 'With the rate I'm going through these I'll need to get a job soon. Of all the addictions I could have formed why did it have to be the most expensive.' A flash of gold caught her attention through the glass for a second. Looking over she froze in shock.

Across the room in the secure area was the Captain. But instead of his stupid duster and hat he was wearing a pristine doctor's uniform. And he was smiling and talking with the guard! They were laughing up a storm and on seeing her shocked expression across the way… he waved at her with a big old grin. 'The bastard just waved at me?! What in Monarch is going on here?' Then he was gone. Ellie looked down at her Stoogie for a second before putting it out and storing it away. Maybe they were rather unhealthy for her to be causing delusions. Ten minutes later there was the apparition again. Walking back and clapping good-naturedly the guard on the shoulder. Five minutes later Jessie walked out, perfectly fine and shamefully smiled at Ellie.

"Hey Els."

"Jessie" Ellie flatly stated. "What the Hell?"

The girl's eyes flinched under her red beanie. "Got myself in a lot of shit Els, your Captain friend is fixing it."

"He is not my friend!" She retorted with a snort. "You know I don't do friends."

Jessie's eyes traveled her face before sighing sadly. "Yeah, I know."

The snap hiss of the door stopped them from talking, as the Captain returned in all his dumbass gear complete with that stupid hat. He stopped before them with a charming idiotic grin. "Well Miss Jessie," he drawled in that slow primal accent. "looks like ya debt with the Board is all dealt with."

"What?" Both women said at the same time in shock but for totally different reasons.

"How did you…"

"You were in debt to the Board!?"

Jessie quickly turned to her bashfully, "Yeah, deal gone wrong. Board was the investor so… I was in trouble big time."

"What the Hell Jessie!" Ellie could feel herself getting angrier than ever. "You could have been killed. They might have sent someone to do you in!"

"They did." A deep baritone voice stated quietly. 'Something in his tone is different? What is it?' Causing the girls to turn back to the towering man. "I talked Udom Bedford to reconsider." His somber face looked over at Jessie before the right corner of his mouth ticked up and he drawled. "Ya freer than a magpie in the hot summer day Miss Jessie."

Squealing Jessie through her arms around the big mans neck catching him be surprise but he recovered with astonishing quickness as he swung her around before gently setting her back on her feet towering over her with that big stupid grin of his, which was only matched by the same look on the girl who followed him. 'What was her name again? Harvarti? No… Parvati.'

Jessie was just radiating happiness. "But how Cap? How did you do it?"

Everyone turned and looked at the man with his happy grin, as he shrugged his shoulders carefree. "Quid Pro Quo." He drawled aimlessly disregarding the utter confusion on their faces. "He wanted something and I wanted something else and we hacked it out over a cold brew and with some bits through in all be good!"

Ellie's eyes darted around the man's face. Something was off, majorly off, but there didn't seem to be any malice or lie in the idiot's face. 'But there has to be a game! There always is one. Some edge or strategy to make him come out on top.'

However, it was the benefactee who caught it first. "Bits… how many bits." Jessie's voice sagged.

The Captain took off his hat and ran an hand through his golden hair causing Ellie's mind to go blank for a moment. At the worst time to do it too. "… that's all miss, nothing more than that. Just buy me a cold one at the bar next time I's be in town and we'll call it alls good, how 'bouts that?"

"I'm the winner in this deal Cap? I don't feel good using you like this. A complete stranger." Jessie stated plaintively.

"Ain't usin' if it volunteerin'." The man smiled. "Get ya butt out of here and enjoy some livin', ya been cooped up in isolation for ta long. If ya stay here ya be madder than a wet hen."

Running to the door, Jessie smirked back happily. "Thanks Cap will do! Never forget your kindness." She ran out before the Captain's "Pish bosh!" statement could reach her beanie clad ears.

The Captain turned to Ellie and tipped his broad brimmed hat. "Have a nice un Doc."

She felt her guts twist inside her. 'Damnit! Now I owe this smug idiot.' "Wait, tell you what, I'm a little short of bits at the moment but I'm a decent scrapper and a better than average sawbones. If your looking for a medic, I can work my debt off." She paused watching as the lazy eyes slowly dance around her face. Something seemed off again. Something wasn't right. Ellie met his eyes and for a second saw it. Deeply hidden a flash of amusement and intelligence. Hidden deep, super deep.

"I don't do slavery or indentured servitude." He gruffly spat. "I ain't the Board." 'Again, something akin to fire was in his strange eyes. What the Hell is that about?' "Don't see whys ya be making a fuss about this."

Jessie squirmed a little but kept her cool as she looked around the room. 'Anywhere but those green blue flecked grey pools. Shit! I'm starting to sound all poetic like. Guess I should just be honest.' "If I'm being honest, and I would prefer not to, I was about ready to pick up another contract anyway. And seeing how neatly you dealt with this issue I wouldn't mind tagging along with you. At least until I repay the favor anyway."

The Captain just kept staring at her. No emotion behind the dumb handsome face. The seconds ticked painfully by and his companions shuffled awkwardly in the background. While Ellie stood resolute, despite his best efforts she was not going to look weak here.

Suddenly, he shifted and sniffed. Distaste filled his face as he frowned at her. Ellie just blinked in shock at him as he drawled. "Nothing…" He shook his head sadly and the eyes stared at her almost into her soul, if she had one. "You smell like nothing. Colder than space, an unfeeling petty bitch. Why would I want something like you Red on my crew?"

Ellie bristled angrily, "Listen Asshole! You don't know a fuck about me!"

"You don't have friends, you view everything as a transaction that must be repaid, and you don't care about others without regards to yourself."

"What's wrong with that?!" Ellie snarled, hurt but refusing to show it. 'Bastard doesn't know anything about me, yet how did he know even this much.' There was just a little to much truth in the sentence.

"Everything." The captain rolled his big shoulders back. "Don't need another asshole on my boat. It's already got me."

Before Ellie could state a rebuttal and not really sure what she would be arguing anyway. Harvarti or what ever her name was kicked in.

"Excuse me Cap, but I think she might need us more than we need her." The babbling girl wasn't looking at anyone or anything but her captain's boots. "She seems as lost as the rest of us." Finally, she lifted her brown-orange eyes to the captain's grey ones. "Could we just help her out for a bit? She could be useful in patching us up and Law knows we need that."

The Captain's gaze was soft as he looked at the girl, finally he nodded. "Wisdom and kindness have met together, you're a special person Miss Parvati." Ellie could feel her eyes widen… there was no drawl…

"Fine Red. You can ride with us and work off your perceived debt. Just know its only perceived by you though. I ain't no slaver." He turned to the stern man next to him. "Max would you mind escorting Doc to the boat? Parvati and I still need to meet with Jun."

A refined cool voice came the man called Max. "Sure Captain see you on board."

"Hold up for a moment!" Ellie stated as the Captain walked to the door. "Who the Hell are you?"

The man stopped, turned and gave her that big grin of his. "Captain Alex Hawthorne of the Unreliable. Welcome to the crew Doctor Ellie Fenhill."

And with a dip of his hat, he was gone.

If you are willing to take the time please give me a review. I would love to know what y'all think of my captain. I played as this guy and thoroughly enjoyed the roleplay. So much laughter.

Thanks y'all,

Jack