04-09-2010, 05:08 PM
"Look lively Kid we got a pair a' CSVs comin' in, gone through the ringer" A grizzled old Trafalgar Mechanic kicked the side of an older model CSV Mark II "Collector". The Collector was sitting on it's belly, it's wings folded up to allow it to rest without the use of a hover-pad, the legs of a stained and faded orange jumpsuit with large black combat boots was sticking out the side, it's upper half presumably buried in an access panel on the Collectors' side. The ringing against the hull caused a yelp to be heard from inside the panel. The legs bucked around as the person inside wriggled his way out of the large access panel.
"what'd ya do that for you big Ape" the body pulled it's way out revealing a tan-skinned young man who looked barely 16, his face was covered in splotches of grease, nearly as dark as his short black hair, his piercing ice blue eyes the only distinguishing feature that were visible.
The old mechanic looked down at the kid "I don' know why yer still workin' on this cursed thing, yer never gonna get it flyin'."
Cursed was an understatement, this Collector had been passed from pilot to pilot, each one dying a stranger and more horrific death than the last until finally it had ended in a secondary bay on Trafalgar, parted out with not even the most foolish Junker willing to take a chance on it. until two years ago, when a newly orphaned 14 year old boy by the name of Talis Benson had spent what little money he'd had buying the hulk with the intention of restoring it to working order. Of course He'd needed to find a job to afford the parts to get her working, which had led him to the mechanic shop on the old Junker station where he'd practically been adopted by the "Ape".
"yeah, yeah" Talis picked himself up off the ground, heading for the main docking bay "Just remember your promise"
"hmf". It'd been a doosie of a promise, more of a bet really; the deal was if Talis could get the Collector flying and then make it to all the way to Arecibo Base an old friend of the mechanic's would set him up with anything he wanted on the Old mans' dime.
"I'll show you old man" Talis said as he walked out of the bay "I bet I'll even have it ready by this time tomorrow"
This Time Tommorow
Talis let out a deep sigh as he sat in the front seat of the Collector in an old flight suit. he held up an old brown helmet,one of the last things he had left of his father; there was a strange looking rabbit painted on each side and Thumper was scrawled in stylized letters across the back, he'd heard that it's meaning dated back to the Sol sector, but he didn't know for sure. he placed the Helmet down over his head, a slight hiss being released as the flight suit sealed itself to the helmet.
Talis reached out flipping various switches; the power core hummed to life and the multiple displays in front of him flickered to life as energy surged through the cockpit. Talis's hands hesitated over the switch that would send power to the engine system, cycling it up; last time he'd tried this the engine blew, nearly killing him; He closed his eyes.
**Flashback**
"alright son, just remember" Talis was sitting on his father's lap in the cockpit of his CSV, "you've got to love your ship; you give it everthing you've got and it'll return the favor, do you understand?". Talis played with the controls "Yes daddy".
**Flashback**
"Ok Baby, I've given you 2 good years up to this point all I ask is that you don't blow me up", he flipped the switch. Energy surged into the Engine, he could just imagine the system cycling up, a slight vibration reverberated through the ship; the engine sprung to life the raw strength of the old Capisan engine(*) lurched the ship off the ground.
Talis let out a laugh, he grabbed the flight stick and the thruster controls, putting the Collector through it's preflight checks. everything was green, he couldn't believe it!
He pushed the comm system in his mask closer to his face, "Trafalgar control this is Talis Benson requesting permission to launch"
"Talis, you idiot, you actually got that thing flying"
"just clear me Davis"
"Alright buddy, your funeral, Junker Tango-3 you're clear to launch"
**in the launch bay**
the old man took a double take as a Collector floated towards the launch bay doors.
"that son a' a -"
Talis looked down at him from the cockpit giving him a one finger salute as the Collecter floated out of the bay
The old man sighed as he thought of all the credits that kid would spend if he actually made it to Arecibo.
_______
*yeah, I went there
"what'd ya do that for you big Ape" the body pulled it's way out revealing a tan-skinned young man who looked barely 16, his face was covered in splotches of grease, nearly as dark as his short black hair, his piercing ice blue eyes the only distinguishing feature that were visible.
The old mechanic looked down at the kid "I don' know why yer still workin' on this cursed thing, yer never gonna get it flyin'."
Cursed was an understatement, this Collector had been passed from pilot to pilot, each one dying a stranger and more horrific death than the last until finally it had ended in a secondary bay on Trafalgar, parted out with not even the most foolish Junker willing to take a chance on it. until two years ago, when a newly orphaned 14 year old boy by the name of Talis Benson had spent what little money he'd had buying the hulk with the intention of restoring it to working order. Of course He'd needed to find a job to afford the parts to get her working, which had led him to the mechanic shop on the old Junker station where he'd practically been adopted by the "Ape".
"yeah, yeah" Talis picked himself up off the ground, heading for the main docking bay "Just remember your promise"
"hmf". It'd been a doosie of a promise, more of a bet really; the deal was if Talis could get the Collector flying and then make it to all the way to Arecibo Base an old friend of the mechanic's would set him up with anything he wanted on the Old mans' dime.
"I'll show you old man" Talis said as he walked out of the bay "I bet I'll even have it ready by this time tomorrow"
This Time Tommorow
Talis let out a deep sigh as he sat in the front seat of the Collector in an old flight suit. he held up an old brown helmet,one of the last things he had left of his father; there was a strange looking rabbit painted on each side and Thumper was scrawled in stylized letters across the back, he'd heard that it's meaning dated back to the Sol sector, but he didn't know for sure. he placed the Helmet down over his head, a slight hiss being released as the flight suit sealed itself to the helmet.
Talis reached out flipping various switches; the power core hummed to life and the multiple displays in front of him flickered to life as energy surged through the cockpit. Talis's hands hesitated over the switch that would send power to the engine system, cycling it up; last time he'd tried this the engine blew, nearly killing him; He closed his eyes.
**Flashback**
"alright son, just remember" Talis was sitting on his father's lap in the cockpit of his CSV, "you've got to love your ship; you give it everthing you've got and it'll return the favor, do you understand?". Talis played with the controls "Yes daddy".
**Flashback**
"Ok Baby, I've given you 2 good years up to this point all I ask is that you don't blow me up", he flipped the switch. Energy surged into the Engine, he could just imagine the system cycling up, a slight vibration reverberated through the ship; the engine sprung to life the raw strength of the old Capisan engine(*) lurched the ship off the ground.
Talis let out a laugh, he grabbed the flight stick and the thruster controls, putting the Collector through it's preflight checks. everything was green, he couldn't believe it!
He pushed the comm system in his mask closer to his face, "Trafalgar control this is Talis Benson requesting permission to launch"
"Talis, you idiot, you actually got that thing flying"
"just clear me Davis"
"Alright buddy, your funeral, Junker Tango-3 you're clear to launch"
**in the launch bay**
the old man took a double take as a Collector floated towards the launch bay doors.
"that son a' a -"
Talis looked down at him from the cockpit giving him a one finger salute as the Collecter floated out of the bay
The old man sighed as he thought of all the credits that kid would spend if he actually made it to Arecibo.
_______
*yeah, I went there