The hallway was a single corridor that was lined with 30 doors, 2 of them being the restrooms at the very middle of it. All of the doors were essentially the same, and each room inside these doors housed the same basic necessities enough for at most 2 people to live in each of them: a 2-person bed; a small cabinet to store personal items and clothes; a plastic table with a few flimsy chairs; and a full mirror on the side.
There were no windows from these rooms because they were placed inside the Kodiak, but at least the lights there which made each one well-lit with a soft, sky-blue light. The walls were of course made of metal (again), but each room had a touch-screen window on one of its walls the size of a medicine cabinet for easy contact via neural net, and also to record personal files.
For now, David woke up with a bad case of sleeping-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed- syndrome, and got up with a stiff spine. After successfully cracking it in several places to make it less constrictive, he checked his PDA to see whether or not he received any new messages whilst asleep... none...
After heading into the showers and putting on a newly-washed LSF-uniform, he went over to Milas room labeled 12 first to see if she was already awake... To his surprise, it was empty.
Suspecting it to be of Francais doing, he took out his pistol and readied it close to his head... Slowly he motioned over to Leonardos room of 05 and opened it to get him.
David: Leonardo! Wake up! Milas gone... huh? *he eyes Leonardo sleeping in a sleeping bag*
Leon: *wakes up yawning* ... Eh? Mr. G... Whats--- *eyes the pistol in his hand, and takes his own pistol out* Whats the situation?
David: I cant find Mila in her room... somethings up.
Leon: *pauses for a minute, then gives a gentle smile before lowering her pistol* ... Oh... is that it? Milas here. Shes sleeping on my bed, as a matter of fact. Thats why Im down here... on the floor...
David: *raises his eyebrow* ... Really? *motions towards the bed, and takes out the sheet to find Mila sleeping cozily; then he puts down his pistol back into its holster* ... Heh... well, thats a relief... I thought Francais took her away---
Leon: *eyes suddenly widen up* Wait a moment... Whos Francais? Was he the guy who almost gunned down my sister?
David: Eh... uh... Yeah. Hes in charge of Security to make sure the Personnel here in the Kodiak were safe from any Nomad Incursions...
But for all I know, hes a crazy nut and a kooky one at that... I dont think he was justified in trying to apprehend Mila without any proof whatsoever.
Leon: *eyes narrow down as he hears Davids words, then looks at Mila* Hmmm... *eyes then relax, and he gets up from the bag* Ah well... cant blame him, right? But just tell him not to pull off that trick ever again... Mila sure was scared of even sleeping in her own room because of him.
David: Agreed. Now, lets get you two ready.
Leon: Alright... *approaches the bed* Mila... cmon. Its time to get up.
Mila: *pull up sheet to cover her head and tries to go back to sleep* Nnnngh... uuuugh...
Leon: Mila... Aw cmon, now.
David: Let me try... *snaps fingers at Milas ears* WAKEY WAKEY!!!
Mila: *only turns head to face the two* ... Ugh... oh... Hiii, Mr. Officer... YAWN... Too... sleeeeepy... *goes back to sleep*
David: Huh... That usually works...
Leon: Ah... She must be drained of solar energy by now... I almost forgot...
Hmmm... Fine then. *David goes to the side as Leonardo carries up Mila with both his arms*
Mila: *is initially startled, but goes back to sleep almost immediately* MEEEeeep... YAAAAWN...
Leon: *smiles slightly at her* Meh... You sure are a bundle, arent you?
*turns to David* ... Mr. G. It looks like Milas too tired to even walk. Ill meet you at the Observation Room after I bathe her again, and get myself ready as well... Alright?
David: *raises eyebrow at what he said* Eh? You sure thats alright with you? I mean...
Leon: Shes my sister, isnt she? Shes family, and I cant just leave her like this... Besides, we need her researched clean, and not smelling like an autopsy.
David: Yeah, but---
Leon: Listen... She may be a lightweight, but I cant carry this load all day, you know? Dont worry about me... Ive done this before. Ill meet you there in a few minutes. *goes off to the bathrooms with Mila in his arms*
David: *smiles to himself* Heh... He sure does care a lot for that girl...
***Observation Room 306***
... 12 minutes pass...
During this whole time David fiddles with his Navy pistol. He did all sorts of tricks with it: he flourished it, he practiced quick-drawing it, he even swerved it all around the air like a cudgel. The last trick he planned was to throw it high up in the air and catch it...
But he forgot to relock the safety pin... When he caught it, he accidentally pulled the trigger and a bolt fired off.
Leon: *just enters through the door with Mila still in his arms* Im he--- *the bolt barely misses his head and hits just beside the wall: PA-FFFFFIZZZ*
*quickly ducks and he dashes to cover on one of the long tables; he takes out his pistol in reflex with his left whilst still carrying Mila on her back with the right* WHAT THE FRAK WAS THAT?!
David: *a sheepish smile appears before his face* ... Oops... My bad...
Mila: *awoken by the gunshot* ... Mmm... Leonardo? *feels her brothers arm behind her back and their close proximity, and her face turns red* EEEP!
Leon: *looks at Mila* Ah... Mila. Youre awake? Can you stand? *stands up and places back the pistol in its holster*
Mila: ... Y-y-yes... *is helped up by him* Th-thank you, Leonardo... whoa-whoa-whoa! *almost wobbles back to the floor until he catches her*
Leon: *sighs to himself* Youre still too tired... Cmon. Ill take you to the White-Room. *support-carries her for the rest of the way*
... 10 minutes later...
Not much changed of the testing room on the opposite side of the observation room window save for the fact that the bench was replaced with a special table at the very center of the room. Mila was lying down on the table wearing a white jumpsuit and a holotainment band on her eyes, and was lined with many sensors stuck on various parts of her body; a slim, round plastic ring circled around her hips, humming to itself a low tone; around the table were small, thin stems of alloys that supported special lasers pointed at various parts of the body like the calf muscles, shins, arms, hands, feet and head: these pointers acted as powerful microscopes that magnified different areas of the body simultaneously at once; there was also this particularly-long metallic stem that supported a large, rectangular sensor that hovered above her; she was also restrained with super-alloy cuffs on her ankles and wrists, but they were not very constrictive and were relatively loose to allow little freedom of movement.
Around the bench were many strands of fiber-optic wires connected to the various instruments that lined it, all of them leading towards the other rooms computers, where the data made from the sensors and scanners would be transmitted to the main computer in front of Leonardo on the observation room, and be compiled and organized into encoded information to be used for research.
On the Observation room, Leonardo, David and Dr. Chime are looking over the status of Mila with calm, but evidently anxious faces, awaiting for the tests to begin... Leonardo steps closer to the main control panel and activates the primary switch to initiate the booting of the programs.
Leon: *taps a few buttons here and there* Okay, Mila. Its very simple: just try not to move too much, okay? Of course, with you restrained and all, you shouldnt be able to just jump out when you feel like it; but it still wouldnt be advisable for you to even flinch because these are very delicate and sensitive tests were conducting here. If you ever feel the need to itch, just use your left index finger to make some circles, and the onboard computer will send in electrical signals to scratch you.
As for entertainment, well... That holotainment band on your head will take care of that. When the tests begin, youll be transported to a predetermined setting I think youll like to spend time in, which should keep you busy as the scanning time is long. Dont worry... Therell be plenty of time left to go to breakfast, so just enjoy yourself out there and relax, okay?
Oh... and one more note: if you ever feel like somethings wrong in any step of the procedure, or that you suddenly feel something strange... or healthier, open and close your left hand several times so that we can immediately stop the process and identify what happened. Since youll be in the dream-world, all youll have to do is think that youre doing it, so that the computer will read the signals and let you do it.
Mila: But... What if I need to go potty again?
Chime: *shivers from that distant memory*
David: *snikers at Chime, then turns back to look at Mila* Dont worry. Leonardo says the computer will eventually pick up the receptors that tell whether or not you need to go do your business way before you even feel it, so you dont have to worry about that too much.
Also, that is still under the category of opening and closing your fist, alright?
Mila: *thinks for a moment* Hmmm... Okey Dokey, then. LET ME AT EM!!!
Leon: Alright Mila, if you say so... Lets proceed with this then, shall we?
Now then... *taps various buttons on the terminal* double-checking systems for any anomalies... green for the Nanoscopes... EMRI is ago... HEM is working at 99.98% efficiency... 100% efficiency... Uranus-class Biochemical-Analyzer scans are operational... All systems are ago...
*flips the master sensor switch, then continues tapping all over the terminal as various instruments surrounding the bench come alive* Systems-check is successful...
Proceeding with phase 1... Hold on, Mila... Im now activating the holotainment band so that you can go and have some fun... Initiating neural-feed in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
As the transparent band comes alive, it first lays out a line of white text in front of Milas eyes saying she was to be transported to the world of Mikioki Adventures: Part 4. Soon the text fills the screen with white, and eventually her eyes become hazy and overwhelmed with bright, white light.
***Dream-world: Holvis Plains: Gran Canaria***
When the brightness clears from her view Mila finds herself in Gran Canaria, surrounded by hip-tall, dark-green grass that reflected off the illumination of the beautiful, bluish-white Barrier Nebula surrounding the night sky like bands of light.
Over to the far-North were giant, 100-meter-high gnarled trees that glowed with the brilliance of a group of Christmas trees from the many lanterns that hung all around their branches; bridges of wood and rope were layed out and spanned from tree-to-tree like skywalks that stretched for meters; the cool evening shone a comforting light on these trees, showing off a nice shade of dark-brown.
To the far-South was a dazzling Zoner city that looked newly-settled; its many short housing complexes dotting the whole place, their windows brightly lit with its inhabitants readying for the night, making a breath-taking lightshow equally comparable to the evening stars being reflected off a large, mirror-calm lake; a number of patrol ships were whizzing about the many streets and skyways, their engine trails lining up the air above the place like tiny balls of white comets twisting and turning everywhere.
Those were the only landmarks that seemed visible for the night. Mila looked up to the sky and was elated when she witnessed a number of shooting stars dancing about for a few milliseconds, and at the same time saw a star suddenly flash brightly for a second with the signal that it just went supernova: but all of it was equally beautiful in her eyes...
As she looked around, the Western night wind ran gently and gracefully across the plains, the grass beginning to dance in the evening in waves with the wind, their dewdrops reflecting off the light like as if a million sand-grained jewels were shown off in front of her: Mila decided to twirl, skip and dance about the plains, some of the dewdrops flying off from the force of the breeze, letting out a soothing, cold meteor-shower of droplets of water onto her skin and sprays of light before her very eyes...
... Mila was at peace...
She soon fell flat on her back to watch as the Barrier Nebula bands slowly moved from the Planets rotation, their light shining off like spilled milk in the starry sky...
After a while, Mila hears footsteps from a distance to the east. Raising herself up, she looks for the source of the sounds and finds a Zoner wearing a brown, leather-hide jacket and pants, with a straw hat on his head. He held a small, wooden staff on his left hand, while his right held the reigns to a nimble-looking horse-like animal.
Jackson: You Miss Laide, the legendary courier in these here parts? I was told that shed be waiting at this exact spot so as I could let this package be delivered. *he shows off a parcel tied with a strong knot on its center*
Mila: Ehm... *scratches head*... No... Im not Miss Laide... But I am an experienced courier, yes. *she smiles warmly at the man*
Jackson: Ah... Okay then. Ma names Jackson... Jackson Partisan. Im a rancher hailing from that city you see to the far-South ways.
Im in a bit of a hurry, so Ill make this quick. I need this package delivered over to Ms. Mikioki over at the Grand Trees Village to the North. It needs to be delivered to her as soon as possible. I cant use a ship for fear of making it too obvious at this time of the night.
Her residence is over at the Barrowmont Line, level 4 of the Heelvin Tree colony. Just ask around, and youll find it. Its a modest wooden hut with this insignia crafted on the front door. *gives Mila a piece of paper that had an insignia shaped similarly to (]c[)*
Mila: ... Alrighty! Leave it to me, Mr. Partisan! ... But uhm... its quite far...
Jackson: Not to worry! Ive brought with me my noble steed, Earnst. You can use him for the journey there. If you get there, just let him off... He knows the way back home. *gives the reigns over to Mila*
Mila: Thanks a bunch, Mr. Partisan!
Jackson: Please! Call me Jack. Its a pleasure seeing you, by the way. Send my regards to Ms. Mikioki as well, okay?
Mila: Okay, then! What message would you have delivered?
Jackson: Tell her... that its A-okay... *turns back and heads off to the city*
Mila: ... WHOOPIE!!! *gets on Earnst* Ive gots maself a horsy! And this place is KEEEEEEEEWWWWLLLLL...
*looks up into the sky* Thanks, Leonardo! Giddyup! *heads off to the North*
Leon: ... EMRI is reading minimum levels of illuminative and background radiation on the Epidermal, Dermal layers, Muscle Tissue and Bone Structure... Switching Nanoscopic Magnification level to Magnitude 1,500,000x in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... *turns a knob by a few millimeters*
All around Mila the instruments were scanning her left and right: the scanner ring was radiating photons all over her body as it moved up and down her body, slowly and carefully making 3D images of Milas total body structure; the dozen Nanoscope stems were releasing these beams of laser-light that cleared up the atmosphere around it and turning those paths into mini-vacuums to allow the powerful Electron Microscopes and other finer instruments attached on them to work properly; the long plank of EMRI metal that hovered above the table was emitting this yellowish aura upon her skin, which was used to read the diverse radiation types and their respective levels potentially circulating all throughout her system.
Slowly, bit by bit, the unorganized data being read by these instruments were being sent via the fiber-optic cables to the Main Computer. Leonardo was starting to strain and sweat from the delicate and precise work he was dealing with: sometimes he grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his forehead with it; sometimes the work demanded too much concentration that David was the one who wiped the sweat off.
Dr. Chime occasionally lent a hand when it was obvious the work needed to be done by more than one person, but on most of the times Leonardo was left to it by himself, for he alone was the one who knew the right places to look for and the right questions needing answered.
Thankfully, the whole process was about to end in a few minutes... As Leonardo looked as the Nanoscopes were finalizing their last slices of data, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Leon: *initially types in lots of codes until he starts to slow down* ... Nanoscope-Telemetric Analyzation complete... Data transfer to main hard drive successful... Corruption of files analyzed to be at only 0.00035%... Spectroscopic Analysis reads successful... Corruption of files analyzed to be at only 0.0001%...
... Initiating Phase 6... Deactivating EMRI Pulsation Emitter... Lowering Scanner Ring Potency back to optimum levels... Deactivating Nanoscope emitters in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
As Leonardo turned some knobs in the opposite directions, the many instruments that were once humming and singing were now starting to power down and deactivate with every setting: the EMRI flickered several times until the yellowish aura disappeared entirely; the Nanoscopes had their atmosphere-destabilizing lasers flicker and turn off after a few button presses, then each one hummed a sad pitch at their slow decommissioning.
Leon: ... Powering down secondary systems... Deactivation complete... Powering down Primary systems in... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... *flips back the large lever*
Finally, the slim ring was the last to turn off, and it stopped right back in the middle of the table. As it powered down, its lights began to flicker lowly until disappearing all together.
David: At last... Youre bloody done. Thats a relief...
Leon: *wipes himself with the handkerchief for the last time* ... Yeah... That was tedious...
Well, I guess we should take Mila out, eh?
*goes back to the console and taps on an intercom* ... Mila... The scannings already done... Im gonna deactivate the neural feed in thirty seconds to give you some time, okay?
Right then... *turns to David* ... What do you think, Mr. G? You think she enjoyed the Courier Adventure at Gran Canaria?
David: Hmmm... Yeah... A fine childrens adventure depicting the struggle of Mikioki against some pirates. My little brother used to watch that whenever it was on.
Leon: Thanks... Mila loved that series when it was still on the air...
Okay then. *turns back to the console* ... Deactivating Neural Feed in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... *clicks a button*
The band started to glow with a bright-white light, and after the light receded Mila opened her eyes. Leonardo opened the door to the testing room and went to check on his sister.
Leon: *as he unlocked the restraining cuffs on her arms and legs* ... So how did it go?
Mila: IT WAS THE BEEEEEEEST!!! I gotz to travel through the purdy Holvis Plains of kewlness, went to the awesome lantern-tree-colonies, witnessed the Grand Parade of the Birds, gotz to wish at the Eternal Tree, and gotz to even shake Miss Mikiokis hand IN THE FLESH!!! AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! IT... WAS... THE KEEEWWLLLEEEEEESST!!!
Leon: *lets out a full smile from Milas wild happiness* ... That mustve been lots of fun, Mila... Why not tell me all about it when we eat breakfast, okay?
Mila: *suddenly notices her brothers brimming smile, and her face turns red with surprise* ... Y-y-yes! O-Of c-c-course! Eheheh! *lets out a sheepish smile*
Leon: *turns to Chime on the viewing window in a formal tone once again after Mila scurries off with a wobble from still-lacking energy* Dr. Chime... I suspect that the data we gathered would take at least another 22 hours for the computer to finalize and compile for a definite research report. Well review the data we gathered in the morning, and begin the next batch of tests in the afternoon.
Chime: Very well, Mr. Tigre. You may proceed.
Leon: *then looks at David* Well, Mr. G. Im getting hungry, eh? Lets get some breakfast after Mila finishes changing.
Chime: Yes... and take the girl with you... please...
Mila: *mouth full with a chicken wing*... Fo fwer I fwas luukin at fis... *gulps down* ... at this shiny, pretty birdie, and then it went all squak-like! I gotz so scared from the squaking, and suddenly it flew! As it flew, a feather dropped off of it, and I was able to catch it!
As far as I knew, managing to get a feather from the Pinta-Pinta bird was considered a good-luck charm in their time! It was absofriggilutely-positively the KEWLEST thing thats ever happened!!! Can you believe it, guys?! I managed to get a feather off the Pinta-Pinta bird!
... YAAAAAAAaaaaawwwwn... Can I have me sunny now, Leonardo?
Leon: Hmmm... Well, since weve already got the data being organized in the Computer Mainframe, I guess you can sunbathe now... Youll need to repeat the process tomorrow anyway, so there shouldnt be any problems for today...
After we finish our meals, well go back to the Observation room and let you rest there.
... Meanwhile, on the food bar...
David: *in an upset tone* What do you mean I cant have my usual order? Why cant I have my 4 gorram chicken wings?!
Bartender: Its just that, G. Ever since that girl youve been taking care of started eating here weve seen a 20% loss to our food stocks in the past 24 hours. The head manager of the Kodiak has advised everyone to a new regiment of strict regulation of food distribution until the supply ship arrives tomorrow. *inputs a code on his PDA that sends a signal to Gs own datapad*
David: *goes hysterical when he inspects it* WHAAAT?! ONLY A CHICKEN WING, A SCOOP OF MASHED POTATOES, AND/OR ONE MUG OF BEER?!
SINCE WHEN DID THE OR WORD COME INTO HOW MUCH BEER YOU WANTED?! AND BESIDES THAT, EVEN 2 CHICKEN WINGS ARE TOO SMALL FOR ME!!! IM A MAAAN, GORRAMIT, NOT AN ANOREXIC HEALTH-WAD!!!
Bartender: Well, as far as I know YOURE the babysitter, G. Unless you put some control on that girls eating intake expect that the last time youll ever have OR see a bucket meal will only be in Sunbucks for quadruple the price tag it takes to buy Gallic wine.
Now either enjoy your health-wad meal like the rest of us who have to put up with this crap, or take up your complaints directly to the head manager. Hell, well even pay you 100K Credits, or anything youd like, if youve got the guts to shove his order back up his ass... *gives a tray of the health-wad order*
David: *thinks for a moment* Did you say... anything...?
Bartender: You becoming deaf from starvation already, G? YES... I DID say anything... *his eyes sparkled*
You see... weve not been having some... positive... relations with the man ever since the regulations been enacted, see? So what Id like you to do is to rough him up a bit... Show him we mean business, alright? Not too much, of course... Just enough for us to get our food and beer back...
David: *starts to grin devilishly* ... Well... In exchange for 20 peoples beer rations, that is...
... Ill do it.... happily...
*leaves off with his tray and sits on the table alongside Leon and Mila with lots of grumbling to himself*
Mila: *leans head to one side* ... You dont look so good, Mr. Officer! Are you feeling alright?
David: *gives a stink-eye at Mila, then proceeds to eat*
Mila: EEEEEEPP!!!
Leon: *slight smile from Milas reaction* ... I think youve antagonized him somehow, Mila... Lets just go on and finish eating, okay?
***Observation Room 306***
The setting of the testing room was relatively unchanged: the instruments still remained where they were, and the table was still there; but a large window was opened to allow the light beams of the Alaskan sun to illuminate all around the room; Mila was sleeping on the table, wearing a white bikini to allow as much sunlight to hit her body.
Leon and David passed the full hour by comparing their gadgets with each others.
Leon: *takes out a small, but fat pistol-like object from one of his inner trench-coat pockets* ... And here I have the CTur-P25. This thing here is an electronics jammer that works by releasing a stream of positrons at any piece of equipment you point and shoot at, and renders that object essentially out of commission so long as you keep the gun pointed on it. Theres a small knob here that helps determine inversely the spread and range of the beam: the higher the setting, the more spread-out it is, and the shorter the effective range.
It also works like a remote hacking console if you activate this little button right here. *points at a green-tinted button* Instead of releasing streams of positrons and overloading the circuitry it sends out tachyons that almost immediately creates a wireless link to the electronic object, allowing the user to manipulate the gun like a remote keyboard using the little screen here. *points to the viewscreen at the butt of the gun*
I fashioned this thing by myself back in the days before my parents... perished... *sigh*... Its pretty useful because the estate seems to still be active, where some of the turrets are more than happy to gun you down should you ever get locked on their targeting scanners.
David: *holds the jammer with thoughtfulness* ... Impressive... Looks like a Junker made it, though... Reports say you fashioned most of your tools from the estates left-over scrap and spare parts, am I right?
Leon: Yeah, thats right. I didnt have many people to associate with back in my early days: even Helga, our family nanny, was mostly busy trying to keep the house together. So instead I passed the time by going on monthly trips around the estate, charting and exploring its many areas and salvaging as much materials, chemicals and spare parts as I could back home, where I put them together to make stuff just for the pleasure of it.
David: Thats about right... You must be handy in making all sorts of stuff, eh?
Leon: Well... uhm... Not that well, but I guess Ive got some experience in making some inventions and refurbishing old junk, yes. Ive had to rely mostly on myself, and most of those were trial-and-error experiments. Even that jammer youre holding took me 24 prototype trials to get running...
But I guess you shouldnt expect too much from old, rusty scrap. Hell, Im even lucky I found a good Frequency-Synchronizer for the darn thing...
*looks at his digital wristwatch* Ah... Mila must be done with her sunbathing by now...
David: I still cant believe she doesnt get a tan from it... Some people have all the luck...
Leon: *gives off a slight smile* Oh, believe me... Its caused her--- us, more trouble than its worth, Im afraid... Just look at where we are now...
David: Haha!! Youre right about that, though!
Mila: *opening the door to the Observation Room* Hiya, Leonardo, Mr. Officer! Did I make ya wait too longy?
David: Not that long...
Oh yeah... by the way... Ive got something to talk about with both of you... But I cant talk straight with you wearing an outfit like that.
Mila: *looks at her revealing white bikini* Uhm... okey dokey. Ill go get changed then! Ill be back in a jiffy! *scurries off to the Lab Dormitories*
... After 5 minutes...
Mila: *now wearing her usual rugged clothing of a jacket, plain-white t-shirt, cargo pants and combat boots* ... Okay! Im back now!
David: Thats much better... Now then...
I assume you guys both know that your stay here has been rather... impacting, right?
Leon: Yeah... VERY impacting... But sadly, Mr. G... Its always like this with us...
David: Well, one of the things you guys affected are the Kodiaks food supplies... Mila here ate so much food in the last 2 days that its no longer funny anymore.
Mila: Uhm... oopsie... Sorry, Mr. Officer.
David: *tone changes a bit darker* Its too late for apologies, missy... I went to get my usual order at the food bar, and all I returned back with was a food tray fit only for a fasting idiot.
You guys arent really making it any easier for me... *a heavy sigh comes out of him* First that rude awakening from that drinking binge from two nights ago; then the bathroom spewing sewage water out the door like a portal from hell, which although was very funny and worth it from looking at Chimes smug face, I had to do additional paperwork to clean the mess up; and now I cant even enjoy a decent meal for the next three food breaks...
This last one proves to be the lowest of low, Mila... Now my stomachs starting to grumble like Cerberus on a bad day... I sure hope all that food that went through your gut was well worth it, missy...
Mila: ... SNIFF... SNIFF... I... I didnt mean to... Im so...
Leon: Uh-oh...
David: Aw, what now?
Mila: ... UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! *tears come streaming out uncontrollably*
*slumps to the floor kneeling, her hands trying to cover her face* ITS ALL M-M-MY F-F-FAAAAAUUUUUULT!!! UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa... SNIFF SNIFF...
David: *eyes widen from surprise for a moment from realizing what he had just done; he then tries to put on a gentler face*
... Mila... Its not... well, maybe it is... But Im only asking of you not to eat TOO much of the chicken wings, mashed potatoes, fizzy drinks or whatever else from the Cafeteria... This is a secret installation and all, so supply ships usually come here only months at a time. Were not meant to hold so much stuff like a fast food restaurant.
You can still eat, Mila, just dont bring in the whole darn food bar with you.
So please... for the love of steak, PLEASE STOP CRYING... Im not even punishing you or demoting you or whatever! JUST STOOOP!!! PLEEEAAAASSEE!!!
Mila: *her sobbing starts to slow down; she tries to wipe of her still-streaming tears, then looks up to David* ... I... Im not... demoted...?
David: If itll make you feel any better, then YES! I WONT! Now just... please... stop... crying...
Mila: ... SNIFF... O... Okay... SNIFF... I... Im so... sorry... SNIFF... so sorry...
Leon: *places his hand on her head* ... There there, Mila...
Mila: *looks at Leonardo* ... SNIFF... brother...?
Leon: Dont cry anymore, Mila. Im not upset at you...
In fact, Im proud of you, Mila... Youre starting to realize your flaws... Everyone has flaws, but not many are ready to admit them...
Its not too much he demands, either... nothing that self-control couldnt fix, right? You can live with only eating one serving per mealtime. You wont die of starvation anytime soon... *smirks a little*
So dont feel bad about yourself anymore... Youre starting to improve for the better, and are walking towards the right direction, Mila... And Im proud of you for doing so... *smiles warmly*
Mila: *her eyes brighten up a little* ... Brother...
Th... Thank you... *gets up and wipes away the last remains of tears from her eyes*
David: *sighs* ... Thank God I didnt have to call the janitor again...
... Just remember, okay, Mila? Dont eat too much... Thats all I ask...
Mila: ... R... Right, Mr. Officer...
David: *clasps his hands together in relief* ... OKAY! Fiasco averted...
*thinks for a moment* Hmmm... Actually... Im supposed to go on patrol today...
... I dont suppose... Youd like to come along, Mila?
Leon: *eyes suddenly shoot wide-open from surprise* M-Mr. G! I-I dont think---
Mila: *eyes suddenly shoot wide-open from eagerness* RRRREEEEEAAAAAALLLLYYYY?!
David: Well... Its only a short route, so well be back in several minutes anyway.
Yeah. You can come... Leonardo too, in fact! Ive just received word from the eggheads that the Solardancer got the green-light from the Bio-scans. You can take it along for the ride... my bomber cant occupy all three of us...
Plus, I did promise you could fly my bomber if I got a good nights sleep, right?
Leon: Wha--- You dont---
Mila: ... WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! AAAAAAALLRIIIIIIIIGHT!!! *jumps up and down so excitedly it is a wonder her head doesnt hit the ceiling*
David: *opens the elevator* ... And here we are... Fighter Bay 8... And theres the bomber, Mila. *points over to the Upholder bomber at the center of the platform*
Mila: *eyes sparkle from the sight of it* WOOOW... Its... Beautiful, Mr. Officer!
David: *goes a bit smug* Yeah, I know that, Mila! A fine ship of its---
Crew Member: Heres your rust bucket ready, G.
David: GETOUTTAHERE! *ahem*
NOW then... Its got another seat for you to use, Mila. Its over at the---
Mila: *already sitting on the back seat* WOOOWIE! Look at all the shiny buttons! *starts pressing things left and right extremely quickly*
David: *runs towards the main seat* HEY! W-W-WAIT!
Mila: *suddenly stops* ... Oh yeah... Sorry, Mr. Officer.
David: *breathes a sigh of relief* ... Alright then... Now lets just---
Leon: *on the intercom of the bomber* Are you ready, Mr. G? Im already at the Crow, and Im now starting to engage take-off procedures from the fighter bay. Hows Mila doing?
David: *looks behind to find her sitting innocently like an angel* Eh... shes peachy at the moment... Well meet first in the Airspace Waypoint Omega. Im downloading the coordinates to your ship logs... now. *taps over some commands on his Navigational Systems*
Leon: ... Okay, Mr. G. I read them fine. Ill head over and meet you guys there. Leonardo Tigre out. *comms go blank*
Davids Upholder had no name christened into it, but it did however show some individualizations in it: it showed a rack of 10 prints of the same squid-looking insignia, and over 20 ship insignias just below it, no doubt a count of how many kills hes had in the bomber; the hull was decently charred from constant battle, but they only served to make the ship look cooler; its two ports on the sides of it were humming with delight, and its engine was firing up as David continued on; the wings looked like they werent the original ones when the first ship was built, and it was clear that they were replacements; the cockpit seemed to be the most intact part of the whole vessel.
Inside the cockpit were two tandem seats: both looked like they had the same controls as the other, but the front one had more advanced controls, which David commanded, as Mila went on the back.
Mila: *goes around to face David, tapping a button without knowing it* So, Mr. Officer! What patrol are we heading off to?
David: *as he engages the Take-Off Systems Check* ... Well, were heading off to Patrol Route Omega... Its a short route from Kodiak to Prison Station Mitchell. Im guessing that if we dont encounter any fights on the way, well be done in 15 minutes.
... Fighter Bay 8 Crew Chief Pete! G, here. Were ready to proceed with hovering mode, over.
Pete: Crew Chief Pete, here. I read you, G. Checking Fighter Bay systems... Blast doors are operational, and are reading no malfunctions...
*eyes a yellow blinking light on his side, which say that the SNAC was primed* ... Darn thing... Sometimes I wonder if this gun has---
Mila: Ooooohhh... Pretty liiiight... What is it, Mr. Officer?
David: Its the darn SNAC again... I swear this thing jams more than a pimp in a Junker bar...
Dont mind it too much, Mila. Its always like this...
Now then... where was... Ah yeah... Engaging Hover-Mode in... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... * as the engines fired up, the ship starts to lift-off*
... The ships in hover now, Pete.
Pete: Roger, G. You may proceed with exit... Good flying, rookie.
David: UP YOURS, GREENHORN! *laughs to himself as the ship blasts off quickly towards Airspace 3; he places a datastick into the Communications Systems, and soon Eminence Front plays in the background of the cockpit*
***Waypoint Omega; Inner-Airspace 3***
... A few minutes pass...
Chime: *on the intercom of the Solardancer* ... So you want me to try to create some simulations of Milas skin as to have some probable hypotheses as to how her photosynthesis may work?
Leon: Affirmative, Dr. Chime. Not only would these simulations enable us to have some possible frameworks to work with by the beginning of tomorrows study, but itll also help generalize some ideas as to how this may be possible.
I dont expect you to come up with any definite answers anytime soon; however, at least youll have something to do in my absence. Ive already gathered some pictures of Milas skin during her recent sun bathing session so as you could have someplace to work with. The files are already stored in the database... I also suspect that by evening the data scans wouldve been reorganized by at least 60-65%. You can work with those scans when you have the time, Dr. Chime.
Chime: Understood, Mr. Tigre. Safe travels to you... *intercom goes blank*
David: *the intercom comes alive again and Davids picture comes into view* Leonardo! Were here at Waypoint Omega. How long did we make you wait?
Mila: *another video feed by the side of the intercom HUD displays Milas face* Hiya, Leonardo!!! Its so cool being in Mr. Officers ship! Im actually a co-pilot of a respectable officer! Isnt that great?!
Leon: Mr. G... Mila... Glad to see youre both here now... Shall we proceed?
Waypoint Omega was just a group of orbiting buoys around a specific part in Airspace 3. The buoys lined up into 3 parallel flanks, where it made up into a 2-way path. A communications buoy was in the very middle of the whole formation for ships within the vicinity of the buoys to read mission orders.
David: Roger. Ill transmit over the Kodiak Airspace 3 Traffic Command to download Waypoint Omega. Ill be back in a second... *both Milas and Davids intercom signals go blank*
*after several seconds pass, the intercoms go alive again*... Okay, Leonardo. Well be calling ourselves through pre-set designations Ive chosen for the mission. I and Mila will be called Beta Leader, while youll be called Beta 1. Youll form up with the ship as soon as we reach open space.
Leon: Roger that, Mr. G... Beta Leader, this is Beta 1, systems check is all green, and are ready to commence mission procedure on your mark, o.
Mila: WOOOOOOOW!!! Brothers acting all kewl and formal-like, just like those navy shows I see on the Neural Feeds back in the Estate! And whats more, were being called Beta Leader! That is like 10 times more SUPERAWESOMEMEGAFREACKINGSPAZZYKEWL!!!
David: *chuckles to himself* You sure do have a way with words, Mila...
Oh yeah... Traffic control said theres a small Nomad raiding party just outside of the Kodiak. Just some squids wanting to be the welcoming committee, but if theyre stupid enough theyll just be treated with the gun batteries outside of the blast doors.
Leon: *as main blast doors of the Airspace start to unlock their sealing mechanisms* ... Beta Leader... I propose we exit the Kodiak with our afterburners for a... tactical exit.
David: *grins widely* ... I like your thinking, Beta 1...
... Alright ... Mila! Ill let you do the honors of priming up and initiating the afterburners while I handle the steering of the ship, eh?
Mila: REEAALLY?! MEGA-AWESOME, Mr. Officer!
Alrighty!!! *taps various commands on her side of the helm* Rerouting secondary power to maximum afterburner-thrust... Initializing Afterburner Activation Procedure... *afterburners soon turn hot*
David: ... Lets see which fighter comes out the Airspace Blast doors, eh, Beta 1? *his grip on the controls starting to get itchy*
Leon: *smiles slightly* ... Roger, Beta Leader... Priming Afterburners... *the Crows afterburners become hot as well*
But before the blast doors started to open, David gets the same reading from his SNAC.
Both ships engines soon roared to life as they catapulted themselves onto the half-opened blast doors, which by estimates should already be fully opened by the time they get to it. The 1km track was running with the two ships going almost neck-to-neck with each other.
But by almost 4/5th of the way, the unexpected happens: the SNAC of Davids Bomber fires a single shot straight out towards the blast doors.
David: *eyes stunned at what just happened* WHAT THE FRAK?!
While the cannon shot whizzed past them, a Nomad Voidrunner somehow comes into view on the other side of the blast doors: and by luck (or misfortune on the Nomads part) the SNAC shot hits the Nomad ship squarely in the center just as the Crow and the Upholder exit the Airspace at full speed, releasing a full explosion of blue and white awesomeness in their wake, parts of the small nebulae created from the explosion following their engine trails.
David: *filled with adrenaline* YAAAAAAHHHHOOOOOOOOO!!!
Leon: *as they enter open space* Beta Leader, I read one more Nomad contact on short-ra--- *pauses for a moment as he witnesses another explosion to their side* ... never mind... It got taken out by the gun batteries.
David: That... was... AAAAAWWEESSOOOOOME!!! That was the best race Ive ever had, with the coolest finish, EVER! Though the winner sure is unclear, that was STILL... epic... Good job, Mila! Good job...
Mila: Yat-taaaah!!! *clasps her hands together in joy*
Leon: *in a formal tone* Well, that sure was fun... Lets head on to the mission, Beta Leader.
David: ... Right, Beta 1... *sighs and grumbles at his dryness*... You sure dont know excitement when you see it, huh, Beta 1?
Leon: *smiles slightly from his remark* ... Doing my best, Beta Leader... Entering Formation.
After the Crow formed up with the Upholder Bomber, they engaged their Cruise Engines to their first Waypoint...
Leon: ... Beta Leader! On your six and seven! Bank-hard right!
David: Roger, Beta 1! *quickly swerves to the right before a good number of blue bolts barely miss his shields* Grrr... They just dont stop coming!
Mila: EEEEPP!!! Mr, Officer! Mr. Officer! Three Bogies on our 12!
David: DAMN IT!!! *immediately heaving the helm downward, moving the ship to the bottom direction; after the maneuver 5 Nomad Voidrunners are hot on his tail*
YOU JUST DONT GIVE UP, EH?! *quickly cuts the engines and turns to face the translucent-blue ships, firing a whole combined barrage of EMP shots, then followed through with a SNAC bolt at one target until the said ship exploded, scattering the squad behind him* YEAH!!! Howd you like that NOW?!
A full 30 minutes had passed since the start of the patrol, and 15 minutes into the mission they initially get ambushed by a rag-tag squad of Nomad Voidrunners that have quickly been getting reinforcements from all directions. And after 15 minutes more of intense fighting the small patrol wing of the Crow and the Upholder Bomber were up against a fighter fleet of 10 Nomad ships.
Leon: *lashes out in fury* DIE, YOU BASTARDS!!! GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAA!!! *he quickly downs a Nomads Shield Veil with his Debilitators; and just as it began to turn towards Leonardo the Crow released its Sunslayer Torpedo at it; before it even had a chance to fire back it was ripped apart from the heavy payload of the missile*
David: Nice Jousting, Beta 1--- *is interrupted when 5 Energy Bolts impacting his ship shield to 19% integrity* GORRAMIT! *quickly swerves towards the opposite direction*
Leonardo somehow attracted the attention of 6 of the remaining ships, and was soon being pinned down in almost all directions with energy bolts. The Solardancer was, however, not without a good pilot in its hands: against all odds the Crow dodged most of the shots fired at it, and managed to lead the hunters off to an asteroid field.
David: Beta 1! Dont--- Aw crud...
Mila! Lets go get your brother, eh? *inserts a datastick that starts to play Break on Through in the background of the cockpit*
Mila: Right, Mr. Officer! Activating Cruise Engines in 3... 2... 1...
Leaving the other 3 Nomad ships in the green dust, the bomber zoomed towards the Solardancers last seen direction.
***Coordinates 5F; Alaska System***
... Meanwhile... 10 minutes later... The jagged ice fields in the Alaska System hovered eerily in the space of the expansive, green nebula of microorganisms that covered much of the place; their silence and harmony were shortly interrupted by the coming of the Crow and 4 other Nomad ships shooting wildly at their enemy.
Leonardo did his very best in trying to evade the many shots fired at him: fortunately, the ice field proved to be a great place for cover from many of these vicious shots, and soon he got his bearings and was ready to take on the fight towards his adversaries.
Leon: *drunk with battle* ... Where... Are you... ?
*eventually eyes one of the Nomads from the left*
... There you are... HYAAA!!! *launches full-on to the fighter with guns blazing, quickly destroying it in a few seconds*
*gets shot with a few bolts before a bit of maneuvering gets him back to safety*
... There we go... *finds two of the blue fighters coming right in front of him; he quickly afterburns between the two whilst managing to disable both the ships veils; he launches a mine that decimates one of the Nomads to crashing onto an asteroid; Leonardo then turns quickly to the other fighter and makes short work of that one as well*
David: *on the intercom* Beta 1! Beta Leader here... Where are you and how many fighters are are still on your tail, over?!
Leon: *his voice appeared frantic* ... Beta Leader... Ive dealt with 4 of the hostiles, and only have one left to neutralize... I just---
David is suddenly surprised to see that last Nomad appearing on his scanners has been behind Leonardos tail all along.
Mila: EEEEP!!! LEONARDOOOO!!!
Just as the Nomad let loose a volley of shots the Crow merely strafed a bit to the right to avoid the shots. He immediately turned to face the Nomad into a deadly stare-off...
Leon: *his voice with a darker tone* ... Beta Leader... Dont interrupt...
... This one...
... is mine... *engages the ship into afterburners in a joust towards the Voidrunner*
David: *his eyes in amazement* BETA 1!!! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!
Leon: *his face now full of hate* HYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
As the two ships bursted at full speed in a joust, they let loose a fury of shots on each other: but as the Energy bolts that came from the Voidrunner basically missed their mark, Leonardos aim was dead-on, disabling not only its shields but also half its hull integrity; afterwards the Crow launched one last torpedo on the Nomad, with proximity so close that it looked like it was also obliterated in the blast...
... Fortunately, the Crow did emerge... victorious...
Mila: BROTHEEEEEER!!! THAT WAS AWESOOOOOME!!! *her eyes sparkled with awe*
David: Nice going, Beta 1... Looks like I owe you a drink for---
Suddenly the Solardancer appeared to be blasting at full speed towards the Upholder, firing off its guns and another torpedo volley at full blaze.
David: *his face going pale at what he was seeing* BETA 1!!! WHATTHEFRAK?!
But the shots werent directed at Beta Leader: they missed the ship by meters, only to land on another Voidrunner squad that was heading towards the two; the shots landing their marks on the head of the wing. By the time the lead ship was decimated, the others turned coward and fled the scene...
David: *realizing what had just happened* ... Whoa... Now THAT was a close call... Nice job, once again, Beta 1...
*pauses for a moment for a reply that never came* ... Uhm... Beta 1... ?
The Solardancer slowly turned around to face the Upholder, and the intercom on Beta Leader went up with static.
Leon: *in a dark tone thats almost whisper-quiet* ... Watch yourselves next time... Especially you, Mila. *the ship then heads off ahead towards the next waypoint*
David: *raises an eyebrow at his strange reply, then looks at Mila* ... Is he like this when it comes to Nomads?
Mila: Hmmm? Yeah! Everytime! Hes the kewlest when hes doing stuff like this, isnt he?
Hes like those silent, kewly-kewl ace wing pilots I gets to see on TV! And best of all hes teaching me to pilot just like him! Its the kewlest thing EVAR!!!
David: *his eyes narrow down a bit* Hmmm... yeah... the coolest thing... *quickly forms up with Beta 1*
***In orbit above Prison Station Mitchell; Alaska System***
In a more relatively-open space lay Prison Station Mitchell... It was rumored that Edison Trent, the Lone Star Freelancer, once boarded this very station to rescue President Jacobi from Nomad infestation: but as all things, that was just a rumor.
In here, the station lay silent, having little, if any, traffic going to and fro from the massive, box-like orbital: its turrets not moving; its comms mostly silent, save for Davids report on the first half of Patrol Route Omega.
David: ... Yes, Prison Station Mitchell. We met heavy resistance on the way here, but managed to contain the threat.
Well be heading back to the Kodiak now.
Girl: *via intercom* Roger that, Beta Leader. Weve been receiving reports that a large spike in Nomad activity has been going on in the last few days. We advise you dock with the station and restock on---
David: Negative, Prison Station Mitchell. We intend to return back to Kodiak as soon as possible...
Dont worry... Well make it.
Girl: ... Understood, Beta Leader. Good flying... Prison Station Mitchell out. *comms go blank*
Mila: We go back now, Mr. Officer?
David: *looks back at Mila* ... Yeah... Were heading back. Go activate the Cruise Engines, will ya?
Mila: Alrighty, Mr. Officer. Initiating Cruise Drive Charge in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... *engines start to flare up*
David: *taps onto the Communications Systems* ... Beta 1... You alright, or anything? You seem to be... on the edge lately...
Leon: *on the intercom* ... Eh?
Ah... Have I been? Forgive me, Beta Leader... But it feels satisfying whenever I get the chance to eradicate another Nomad from the face of Sirius... Theyre the main reason why Ive lost my family... And frankly, Ive got not much to lose, anyway.
David: Dont say that, Beta 1... Youve got Mila as your sister, dont you?
Leon: *a long pause comes out of the intercom* ... Yeah... *intercoms go blank*
David: *rubs forehead with his right hand* ... This doesnt feel right... Leonardos REALLY on edge...
Well... I guess if Id lose my parents to these squids, Id be hell-bent on revenge myself... But still...
*turns to look at Mila, who only looks back and smiles*
Mila: What is it, Mr. Officer? You look tired or sumthin!
David: ... No... Nothing, Mila... Lets just go... *the ship heads off towards the Kodiak*
The Upholder Bomber, after a full patrol, now hovers above the fighter bay platform it took off from... Nothing of appearance has changed of the ship, showing it had taken no damage whatsoever, what with the shield array absorbing all those pot shots.
David: Crew Chief Pete, G here... Platform is all clear and Im ready to proceed with landing procedures, over.
Pete: Roger that, rookie. You may proceed to dock, over... *starts to chuckle to himself*
The ship slowly descended gracefully down the metallic platform, and a series of gravitation rings appear beneath the ship, helping to cushion the landing. Upon touchdown, the ship went from a roar in its engines, to a buzz, then to a hum, and finally all of its inner and outer systems stopped themselves altogether.
David: ... Systems deactivation successful, no signs of malfunction and showing all green. Deactivating secondary power core... Deactivating Primary Core in... 5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
Primary power core deactivated... Double checking systems... All clear. Landing successful, Sarah Janes-lover Pete... Over and out.
Pete: Hey! Why you--- *David turns off intercom before he could finish his sentence*
David: *wearing a satisfactory smile* ... Take that, frakker... heheheh...
Alright, Mila. You go first...
Mila: * literally jumps out the cockpit with a big bounce, and lands with an acrobatic thud onto the fighter bay floor* Yattaaaa!!! THAT WAS AN AWESOME PATROL, Mr. Officer! Lets do it again, sometime!
David: *stepping off the ladder from the bombers cockpit* Heh... You still have your energy, I see...
Maybe later, Mila... But for now, Ill have to do a full report on the patrol before we go back to finding those people you met. Can you wait here while I go to that panel over there?
Mila: Sure, Mr. Officer! *finds a plasteel crate to sit on*
David: Thats good... Ill be back in a sec. *walks off*
As Mila took her time to sit down, her sharp ears couldnt help but notice some gossip going around a couple of LSF agents a number of meters from the elevator...
LSF-Agent 1: *barely audible* Hey, Georgy! Have you heard the news? That rookie Gs gonna take that head managers order back up his ass! And hes doing it just for the beer too!
LSF-Agent 2: What? No way! That rookie wouldnt dare...
LSF-Agent 1: Of course he would! That food distribution protocol has Gs food binges up in flames. And you know what its like when G cant have his steak?! You remember the last time---
LSF-Agent 2: DONT... Remind me, Mack... I still have nightmares from it... *shivers down his spine*
Well... Lets just hope G here doesnt disappoint, eh? That rookie probably couldnt navigate his way out of a paper sack even if he was armed with a GPS Unit, let alone lead that order back to the manager, hahahaaaah...
Mila was starting to get furious at what these LSF agents were spewing behind Mr. Officers back... But a sense that she might get herself into more trouble than what it was worth held her back to the crate. She decided to continue on listening to the Agents for the sake of finding something to do.
LSF-Agent 2: ... Say... You going over to play some pool tonight?
LSF-Agent 1: AGAIN?! I swear youre addicted to pool so much you rival an Outcasts need for Cardamine! Dont you ever do anything besides pool this, and pool that?
LSF-Agent 2: HEY! So what if I spend half my sleep-shift playing pool?! I get to do whatever the hell I want with my time, alright?!
Anyway... This aint gonna be an ordinary game, my friend, oh no! This time... The Kodiak Pool Club is hosting its annual tournament tonight, booh-yah! Some of the best pool-players will be trying to compete for the grand prize of a whole years worth of salary! And let me tell you this, Mack: a years worth of salary is a miiiighty-fine investment right there!
I cant wait to try my gen-yu-whine skills to the battlefield, bro! Itll be... sweeeeeet... *raises a thumb towards the other guy with a cool smile*
LSF-Agent 1: Heh... A years worth of--- *starts to think for a moment*... Yeah... now THAT... would be awesome...
As the LSF agents started to walk towards the elevator, too far for even Milas hearing range, David soon came back to the deep-in-thought Mila.
David: *raises an eyebrow, then places a hand on her shoulder* ... You alright Mi---
Mila: What is pool, Mr. Officer...?
David: *rears his head back from her sudden question* Huh? Pool...?
***Cafeteria; Back Room***
... 9 hours later...
The trio soon found themselves at the place known only by the LSF as the Back Room: its basically a room that had a fancy setting to it: it was a 120 square-meter area, had some old-fashion-looking lights hanging over the top, walls lined with white wash wood, the floor rolled in with some red carpet, and had a small, decent bar on one of its corners; there were some fancy tables that were justified with equally-elegant chairs, all of the former covered with some white table skirting and what-not.
In the middle of the room stood ominously a smooth, diamond-sanded pool table made of exotic Terumi wood. It was a sassy thing: the surface was as smooth as silk; the cloth on the gaming pad was green and unviolated from any scratch marks; it even had the Liberty Star carved outwards on the four corners of the table, the symbols showing off the boastful pride and joy of the nation.
By a wall was a weird rack of broken-in-half pool cues that had various markings and dates just above each of them: from first glance it would look like a history of the pool cue disasters they had in each game they did over the years; but there was a sign above that said, Ye Olde Predictions.
The room looked like it wasnt frequented often: it had cobwebs in a few places, and even the elegant pool table had a small layer of dust on its otherwise creamy surface.
However Leon, Mila and David found that it was slowly coming back to life: as more people came in the chairs were taken out and were occupied by eager LSF agents holding various drinks; the cobwebs were dusted off and disposed off; and the bartender now earned his name by finally opening the small bar, where a few of the agents wasted no time in asking for the strongest drinks for the night.
Mila soon spotted a perfect table to sit on: it was located somewhere just between the door and the Pool table and it was a bit dimly-lit to avoid any unwanted attention.
Mila: Woooow... Look at all the people gathered here! The smiles, the smells, the feel of the environment... Its all so classy, unlike the usual Kodiak boringness I see...
Leon: ... Yeah... This IS unusually casual, Mr. G...
David: *smiles expectedly* Heh... Im not surprised you two think so. This place here is where we host special gatherings here in the Kodiak.
Rumor has it amongst the LSF that there were some... discrepancies in the allocation of the funds, but Im sure if you ever ask anybody directly theyll quickly deny it, what with the Kodiak being a secret station and all...
But of course, were still human... We bleed, we die... And we most certainly DO get bored from time to time... So this room does fulfill that last prerequisite quite decently.
Although this room is open all the time, its not much frequented except for casual plays... But every year the Kodiak Pool Club hosts a large event wed like to simply call the Annual Pool Tournament. Those LSF agents all over the station who have a great sense of pool compete in this here tournament...
And the usual prize? Either a whole months-worth of beer rations guaranteed... or a whole years worth of someones salary gathered and pooled together from deposits in the Club Bank, depending on how well-oiled this here operation goes in that year.
It keeps spirits high and motivations in check, so High Command turns a blind eye to it. Sometimes it gets so thrilling even officers from other stations may suddenly come into the games just to get in the loop. *chuckles mildly to himself*
Mila: Woooooooooooow... Must be kewl, Mr. Officer!
Leon: Are you going to compete in these games, Mr. G?
David: Nah... Im heading to something of a... private matter...
Mila: *eyes start to sparke* Ooooh! Is it---
David: *positions his finger to his mouth, then whispers* Shhh! Thats a secret, alright? And dont tell Leonardo about it either.
Mila: *giggles slightly*
David: Well... Anyway, Im sure you guys wont just run off anywhere, right? The games are fun, and the drinks are sweet, so theres little to get bored in here.
Ill head off now, okay? *turns around to walk towards the door*
Leon: *observing his surroundings* ... Everyone sure is eager...
Suddenly, everyone goes silent as someone of seemingly-high stature walks over to the center of the room, leaning on the side of the pool table with a voice amplifier on his ear.
Man: *taps on his headphone* Hello? Is this thing on...? Okay then.
Welcome to the Annual Pool Tournament, Ladies and Gentlemen. This event is sponsored to you by the Kodiak Pool Club... and... by our lovely Military budget, folks. *a few hoot at his words*
Now then... For those still new to this fine culture of the Kodiak, the rules are simple... from tonight till the night after tomorrow, people from all across the station will be competing in a nine-ball tournament bout in the 4 preliminary rounds tonight, 2 semi-final rounds in the succeeding night... and an eight-ball finale on the last day for the grand prize of...
... 24 Million Credits! A full years worth of salary for any hard-working, donut-eating, Nomad-ass-kicking privateer worth his weight in salt! *a louder reply of hollering follows*
So before we begin, as tradition of the Kodiak Pool Club, and because we have lots of equipment to replace whatever breaks... *people snicker left and right* ... The Champion of the Year is tasked to begin this wonderful event with the ceremonial Pool Cue Prediction! Hes to break the Pool Cue in half, and we get to see a small taste as to what we can expect this year... The more uniform the break, the more heated the years gonna be...
Okay Gens... *in comes a comparatively-skinny guy, and proceeds to snap the pool cue hes given in half; everyone is shocked beyond recognition to see that it broke so very equally*
... By the maker... LOOK AT THIS, FOLKS!!! Just witness that super-clean shaven cut! Its almost as if a saw was used to break this cue in two! This years gonna be a totally-awesome match, folks! Anyone could be a potential winner this year!
Right then... Without further ado... as the official announcer till God do me part...
... MAY THE CONTEEEEEEEST... BEGIN!!! *exits the light as the people cheer on in delight and excitement*
***Head Managers Office; Level 4***
The current Head Manager of the Kodiak, Harold Lukas, was a suitable man of taste: that night he was wearing a navy-blue business suit, with a matching navy blue tie and black, cleanly-polished shoes; his hair was short, but made to a clean tailors cut; he looked like he was somewhere between his 40s and 50s, where signs of age wrinkling started to show. His eyes were formal, but decently pleasant, and his hands were busy writing reports on his own PDA.
The office he had was comfortable: it had its otherwise drab, metallic walls painted skyblue; the desk he had was of decent make; and there seemed to be a minty-fresh scent scattered in the air.
A low buzz on the door was heard on his nearby intercom, signaling that someone was before the door.
Harold: Hmmm... Could it be...?
... Come in then...
David: *walks in casually* ... Hello... Mr. Lukas. *a grin appearing before his face*
Harold: *a grin appears on his face as well, but this one was wry* ... David...
David: Im sure you are already familiar as to why Im here... Dont you?
Harold: Ive heard the rumors, yes...
... But I never expected someone like you to really DO have the balls to do this... Im surprised, David... Truly I am...
David: Ill take that as a compliment, thanks... *he cracks his knuckles noisily*
Harold: Actually, I was hoping we could talk about this more... civilized-like.
David: Id love to... Buuuut...
... Wouldnt wanna disappoint my fans now, would I? Plus, Im getting beer for it.
Harold: *his eyes narrow* Hmmm...
If thats how you wanna take things, David... Fine... Well play it your way. *stands up from his chair, his fists coming up in preparation of a fight*
David: *laughs maniacally* ... Ill have it no other way... Sir...
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