Veranda Incognita, Home of the Waverlys

[Shamus]

"It's all a matter of perspective." Shamus mused to himself as his Armored Transport began its automatic orbital insertion for docking. He had been observing the path of Bora Bora very closely. The distance out to Planet Fuerteventura was relatively short as in-system distances go. It took less than a minute for planet Bora Bora to cross the gap between the two "native" planets. As the planet passed its temporary icy "brother", the contrast with its own ruddy orange seemed quite striking.

It took only seconds more for the planet to close the 40 kilometers to where the Ska Ralla lay waiting further to the south, no longer able to recharge its massive laser for another shot. The fatal moment proved to be a huge anticlimax. Shamus saw a sharp spike in detected radiation from the transport's sensors. There was absolutely no visible sign of the impact, as it occurred on the other side of the planet. For a brief second both Shamus and the sensors saw a narrow but intensely bright "penumbra" surrounding the planet like a halo... the last of Dr. Artifice's, and Goddess knew who else's, atoms becoming part of the interstellar winds.

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Shamus landed on Gran Canaria just moments after Dis and the girls had gently lowered their tractored pod onto the tarmac. The emergency droids and techs had finally managed to open the hatch, and were obviously aghast at what they beheld inside. One tech turned aside to wretch. The androids began feeling through the mass of bodies and limbs, their "sensor" fingers searching for any sign of life.

As Shamus departed the belly of the A/T and ran towards the pod, he saw a renewed activity as both techs and androids focused their attentions. In seconds, a male figure was being pulled from the carnage, bloody gibbets of flesh hanging from his clothing. He appeared to be on the verge of absolute madness; but also kept wrestling back towards the cargo pod, yelling a name.

Shamus reached the man then. "Sir! Please! My name is Shamus. I'm a friend to Malaclypse and the ELF! Have you seen them? Who are you? Were you on the Ska Ralla??"

At the mention of the ELF, the man seemed to visibly shrink! "They tried to kill us! The F-unit Discordia blew up our ship! And then we were tractored aboard a huge ship! They were experimenting on humans. My God, he cut into Mioki! She's in the pod! Save her!"

Shamus' suspicions were confirmed. This was Beau Coup, a former Epopt of the ELF. Rumor had it that Dis had been seeking revenge for her "sister" Merci, who had been Beau's F-unit until they had gone their separate ways. He and his fiance Mioki had indeed been attacked by Dis, but then Dr. A had stepped in..

The techs had located the man's fiance, and were extracting her gently from the grisley interior of the pod. However, the androids were not applying any resuscitation measures, nor checking any further for life signs. They merely laid her on a hover-gurney, and began to help Beau towards a similar conveyence. Beau continued to rave and scream as he was gently secured and taken away.

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Shamus walked slowly up the slight rise to the Veranda's outer gate. He noticed that the external laser defences did not activate as he approached. He peered into the retinal scanner just as a precaution, but received no recognition of his action. Shaking his head in wonder, after a day of wonders, he walked through the outer gate, and started up the path to the Veranda proper.

Shamus was just picturing a tall Sapphire and tonic, one of the house specialties, when several slim, cylindrical turrets popped up to a meter in height on either side of the path. One of the turrets paid particular attention to Shamus.

Shamus went tetanic with shock. As the shock wore off a bit, he looked down at the newly acquired, perfectly cauterized, 10cm hole through the center of his chest.

"Yet you can be killed crossing the bloody road." he mused one last time, as he crumpled dead to the ground.

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