[QUOTE=Radley;49881189]Good to see you are returning. Has this last minute scavenge yielded anything of worth?[/QUOTE]
Yuga's voice reached Yanim as she steered the skiff through the intense conditions, making sure to watch for nearby obstacles.
"We have enough fuel here to power the ship for two or three months," Yanim replied, calmly. "We also have a batch of medical isotopes and some kind of biological material that I'm going to turn over to Amelia. We'll be inside in less than two minutes; monitor János and ensure that he returns to the ship."
Jag was quite dumbstruck at first before it started to realize the true nature of this event unfold around it.
Through healed of it's wounds with the attention of renew vigor within it's body as well. Still partly immobilized by the earlier toxin but was able to sightly move it's head to face Abraxa as it slowly regain it's strength.
"Soft...Carbon.." It's implant muttered in low,weak voice. It's implant parity damaged from the electric discharges from the event. The voice was deeper than usual with static filling it's voice.
"Your playing with dangerous elements far beyond you're frail understanding of the inner void."
Jag said with anger begging to set into it's synthetic voice.
"And if still foolish continue like others who partake in these..Arts. When and wherever they learn it, use it and begin to bend it to [B]their [/B]will. You all end in the same place." Jag said coldly towards him, rising it's torso from the floor as it spoke.
"Death." Jag said sternly before rising above next to the soft-carbon. Standing upright with arms and tentacles retracted under it's cloak as it looked down on his face with cold state, locking it's face with his eyes.
"Or something far, far worse." The Sanghvi said in voice low enough that only it and Abraxa could hear. Standing silent as it looked onto the foolish soft-carbon's face for an moment more.
"You are right. But for each progress we make there's always a sacrifice to be made. For the Human Civilization They were cold, so They invented fire. They were weak so They invented tools. Each processor believed there was a doom they could not comprehend." He said calmly.
"These arts are important for progress. It is those that aren't responsible to use it for the greater good of the people that are hurting this reality. It has helped you and I assure you it will help others as well."
"Many will suffer at the expense of technological progress, but I just cannot deny the potential that we have for a better future."
Yuga squinted her eyes. These news were indeed satisfactory. With free fuel and also useful and potentially valuable isotopes, stopping to scavenge had been worth it.
Yuga looked back to the map and located Janós' skiff and contacted it.
"Our contractor urges you to return to the ship. Our scavenging here is finished and we are leaving shortly".
Alchemy? Taylor raised an eyebrow. Some mystical stuff. She noticed the new guy wander in, asking for help with his injury. "Hey, Doc. New guy needs help with his hand." she said, motioning towards him with her revolver.
She looked over at Jag. "Feeling better, Jag? I got your message, so..." she asked, her voice trailing off.
Jag gave the Abraxa an stare at his answer. "Just be mindfully of what power you drawn from soft-carbon." Jag said towards his face before walking past him towards Taylor.
"Because you're not the only one staring in." Jag said briefly as it past him, now walking towards the direction of it's fellow freelancer, glancing at the soft-carbon's face as it subtly asked about the payment.
Within an nano second, Taylor account received 250 credits. An neural implant is quite handy in very situation.
But as Jag view left Taylor's, it glanced upon an new member of the crew. An pale soft-carbon matching very similarly to that of an terrain born in shape and form but...Lack something as Jag quickly stare at this soft-carbon for moment as it walked past him, now curious of this one's origin.
"Your frozen one that the crew had recovered from the derelict voidcraft, are you not?" Jag asked in clam tone. Turning it's body to face him as it stop in the hallway.
Frosty stared at this... [I]thing[/I] that was infront of him. The non-humanoid crew members, he knew they weren't human though they were human-like in a way he could understand, but he couldn't understand [i]anything[/i] about the figure infront of him. He leaned in very close towards it, almost touching its surface with the faceplate of his helmet. He stood like this for what seemed liked an eternity. He then finally spoke
"...Are you a robot? And what is a soft-carbon?"
[QUOTE]
"...Are you a robot? And what is a soft-carbon?"[/QUOTE]
Jag recoiled sightly in amusement at this frozen one's question, through understanding it's reasons for such.
"No, I'm not an synthetic. And to you're other question, that because your basic biologic structure is made from that of molecules that also made up of carbon bonded with other elements, mostly oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen. And your final very flexible and well..Soft. Thus the name soft-carbon." Jag explained to this new one.
"I prefer the nickname 'Frosty', the one who healed you gave it to me, as I... cannot remember my own, or anything about myself for that matter."
Frosty was inspecting this figure up and down.
"And speaking of names, nobody has introduced themselves to me! I think now is the perfect time for a proper introduction, don't you think? What is your name, mister?"
Valkyrie paid ahead of time for the meal she was about to get, then walked over and picked what she wanted from the sushi bar. She then turned around as Maddox got his food, and looked for a place to sit. Lots of people here. Fuck. She looked about, then finally spotted a table sorta open. One guy sitting at it, a gun resting on the table.
She walked over and sat at an angle from him, twirling her chopsticks between her fingers. She glanced up at the man, who seemed to be reading an advert. She looked at it, as she lifted a square of sushi to her mouth. Huh. Its the same company she had applied for.
"Terika-Belladonna Company?" she asked, before slipping the sushi into her mouth.
[B]...[/B]
Frosty, eh? Taylor smirked. Fitting. She propped against the wall in the doorway, slipping her revolver into her pocket and folding her arms.
"If you're ready for a quick healing Frosty and sit on the table and mind the big circle across the room." Abraxas said while pulling out his medical tools after locking up the Alchemy books.
"Oh my goodness, finally!" thought Frosty as he sat down, awaiting the good doctor to do his fancy work. After this, he could finally take off his helmet, as he had been wearing it all this time to hide the fact he is wincing horribly from the pain.
"Describe the problem and let me see closely." Abraxas said putting back on his helmet and respirator.
Jag took another look at this Frosty before leaving towards the end of the hallway.
[QUOTE]"Describe the problem and let me see closely."[/QUOTE]
"The culinary duel I had with that psychic one. I was eating the food so fast and so savagely I hadn't noticed I accidentally chewed on my finger." He removed the napkin to show that his index finger had been chewed in half.
Markus looked up as the woman sat down at his table.
She looked at the advert and asked him the name of the company.
"Yeah, whats it to you? You applyin?" he replied while glancing up from behind his mask.
He put the advert down and lifted his rifle off the table and propped it against the wall behind his chair.
He looked back to Valkyrie and the glanced over at Maddox who was sat eating at the counter.
"Ya boyfriend comin too?" he asked, with a hint of discontent in his burly voice.
Abraxas folded his arms and gave a deep sigh. "Your arrival on this ship was unexpected so I'm going to have to work what I'm seeing right now. Unfortunately Biofoam is what I need to use. He said as he wandered all the way to the back. He came back with a canister spelling BF-F, spraying it onto the wound and saw the foam encasing the wound up.
"Now." He said, surprising Frosty by injecting him on the shoulder, taking some blood. "That biofoam is going to sit on your finger until I make a potion on your unknown race. Which would probably take an hour at best." Abraxas said.
Janós continued passing by many a wreckage, seeing nothing of value. Was he doomed to only finding something on one ship? Was this his punishment for taking so long in the mining vessel? He wasn't sure what to do until he received Yuga's message. He guessed that was it.
"Alright, heading back now," he said, as he turned the skiff back in the direction of the Muramasa.
"I am comfortable with this, Doctor. I just wish I remembered what I am so it could assist you better." Frosty then stood up.
"By the way, you gave me my name, yet I don't know yours. What should I call you, Doctor?"
[QUOTE]"Yeah, whats it to you? You applyin?" he replied while glancing up from behind his mask.[/QUOTE]
"Already applied." she said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her holo-tablet. She flashed it to him, then slipped it back in her jacket.
[QUOTE]"Ya boyfriend comin too?" he asked, with a hint of discontent in his burly voice.[/QUOTE]
"Boyfriend? Fuck [I][B]that[/B][/I] shit." she grunted. She ate another piece of sushi. "Like I'd date [I]anyone[/I] that was involved with the SDF."
She glanced back at Maddox. "Dunno where the hell he's going."
"Dr. Jerk. Now bug off." Abraxas said walking away.
Markus looked from Val to Maddox.
"Well ain't that a fuckin relief", He muttered.
He leaned onto the table and flicked a spent .50 shell between his fingers.
"Better not be commin along with that company. I ain't precisly fond of SDF."
As Frosty walked out of the medical station, he felt something very strange going on in his insides. He ignored it, and went back into his Voidwalker to see if it still worked.
Everything was off, except for that one monitor which read "WARPCORE FAILURE" on it. The cockpit window was covered in frost except for that one area which had been wiped off earlier. The two boxes were still there, stacked behind the cockpit seat.
He sat down in the seat and looked for a power switch or something. After fumbling around in the darkness, he managed to hit a button which activated all the monitors inside. Some were displaying the status of the vessel, some were giving reports on the engine, and some were displaying information about the armaments it had. However, there was one monitor which was different from the others. It had a set of symbols on it which looked like some kind of language. Frosty stared at it, trying to make sense of it, but couldn't. It went away after a few minutes, which left him curious about just what did it say.
Besides that, his starfighter was giving positive readouts. It's as if time itself was unable to lay a finger on it. Everything was working as it should, except the engines. He didn't want to test the engines to see if they still worked as that would mean having to detach from the Muramasa and flying around, and he didn't want to inconvenience the crew.
[QUOTE]"Better not be commin along with that company. I ain't precisly fond of SDF."[/QUOTE]
"Me neither." she said, focusing more on her food. "I've worked with former SDF before. They're all dumb fucks." she muttered, a moment before slipping another bit of sushi in her mouth. Looks like she found a friend.
[B]...[/B]
Taylor straightened up. "If you'll excuse me, I'll be in my quarters." she said, waving over her shoulder as she walked away. She returned to her room, slipping her revolver under her pillow again and setting her holo-tablet on her bed. She then laid down on the floor, and proceeded to do pushups and crunches. She could pass the time by doing workouts. Always good to stay in shape! Especially if you were in the business she was in.
The odd feeling within Frosty's innards grew stronger, and stronger. Worse, it seemed to be rising towards his head. It didn't take long for him to figure out what was going on. He figured he should tell Dr. Jerk about this, but he made it very clear he wanted to be alone. He took his helmet off, opened up a small glovebox to his left, found a sickbag, and put his mouth in it.
The chili con carne came back with vengenace. Frosty learned the hard way that he cannot digest human food properly.
Yanim entered the cargo bay with Bucky in tow. Yanim's mask was sitting on a nearby shelf, and after checking that it was functioning properly, she took a deep breath, removed her helmet, and secured the breathing mask to her face.
"Where do you want these?" Bucky asked, carrying a case under each arm.
"Take the fuel rods back to engineering. I'll take the rest to the lab," Yanim replied. Only after getting used to hearing her contractor speak with unobstructed vocal pathways did Bucky notice how nasally Yanim's mask caused her voice to sound.
"Sure thing," she said, dropping the case with the science and medical supplies. As Bucky walked off, Yanim tried to lift the case on her own, and realized that it weighed much more than it appeared. Muttering to herself, she waddled out of the room with difficulty, through the main tunnel, and into the medbay. Entering, she noticed the huge circle and hexagram drawn on the floor. She stared at it for a moment, then the doctor. Letting out an uneasy mixture of a sigh and a groan, she simply dropped the case onto the floor next to the door, took one more look at the hexagram, and then walked out without a word.
She had worked for the SDF? Right dodgy, but if they paid well then it might have been another story.
Markus pulled out a knife and began etching something onto the shell.
"Dumb fucks fits em about right, dunnit? Hypocrites, the lotta them."
DM/V 2380 was now etched onto the shell and markus put his knife away.
"Fuckin cunts didn't even 'ave the dececy to put me in a sol prison and shipped me off to some lock up owned by a buncha suits who couldn't give less of a shit."
[QUOTE]"Fuckin cunts didn't even 'ave the dececy to put me in a sol prison and shipped me off to some lock up owned by a buncha suits who couldn't give less of a shit."[/QUOTE]
"Eh. I was spared prison. They killed my parents and friends, and shipped me back to Terra. Got stuck in a shitty orphanage there. I grew up, left, and returned to the family business." she said. She looked up at him through her bangs. "So what did you do, exactly?"
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m4tYUfYCj4[/media]
Abrax closed up his suitcase and adjusted his coat, breathing through the new fresh coat of atmosphere through underground, Light to dark as soon as they went through. He saw his cilent, wearing a vest, muscular in size and a crop top on his head. He let out a snobby yawn and felt an itch on his back, urging to scratch it in front of the Physician. Abrax ignored this as best as he could.
"Man, feels good to be back home. I never caught your name?" He pointed at him by the index finger. Abrax narrowed his eyes and turned. "Abraxas." He affirmed
"So we got a few injured workers down the mining areas. An accident caused us to close it down for now and we had several guys downed. Right now we could use a few medical professionals." He added one which wasn't really necessary at this correct time. Abrax finally saw the complete underground location. The slight he saw were ordinary kids running around, trying to catch one another with a game of Tag. One of the kids planted his hands on his knees, catching his breath while the other taunted him then running away.
"This is?" Abrax questioned as several men and women walked by, Kercan, Human, Androids, even... Kanads? This community of people, tending the gardens and crops. Giving water to each other. He's never seen this before at least not recently.
"Safe Heaven." He spoke, watching the scenery unfold while he walked towards the tall building. He gestured Abraxas to follow while he also gave him a brief tour. "The planatations keep us fed and well other forms of product. We got some talented architects and neat shacks on our left. Offfically elected quote on quote the voting process Mayor Dora leads us. Good person and tries to help out whenever she can. "I hope you can take care for those miners, I don't want any people dying in there."
"Of course." Abrax waved off, walking emotionlessly as the inhabitants were minding their own businesses.
"In here." The man gestured over to a medium sized tent, seeing several workers laying down several gurneys. They groaned horribly and one of them pressed a few hands on their bleeding stomaches. Abraxas moved forward and studied each one. If a few were injured and if there was an emergenacy then where are the doctors?
"Any medical staff?"
"Don't have one sir, the last time we had one was a few months ago but then he went on his own travels." He explained though it wasn't exactly a good excuse. He fiddled with his hands and sighed deeply seeing the workers in constant pain. "Can you help them sir?" He asked watching Abrax observe. Abrax nodded and planted his suitcase on the ground. Unlocking the contents and pulling out several bandages, canisters, and potions for these foul Humans. One by one he placed several bandages and pressed down, injecting the workers with constant healing auras.
Once he was done he made sure to uncork the Human potions and forced them to gulp down on the contents. A blue illumination occured between each worker's stomaches and other wounds. A few locals took a close peek. The man was in awe but he felt as if it was a familar sight.
One of the workers rose from the torso and sighed in relief the pain was finally eradciated.
"Unbelievable sir. The bleeding has stopped!" The man exclaimed while Abrax stared, nodding. The man was shaking in excitment and pulled Abrax's hands. "Work with us sir, you're gifted in the healing arts." Abrax saw the man touch him in a bad manner, he turned to stare at his face.
"Do not touch me."
The man made a quick frown and pulled away, raising his hands. Scratching the back of his head he apologized. Abraxas folded his arms and awaited for something very important. The man quickly realized. "Sorry. Here you go." He pulled out several credit chips as Abrax took them.
"Oh and god bless you sir!" He then unlatched his necklace. Abraxas tilted his head as the man had gave him some kind of cross, a moon cresecant and a strange mark. Along with others he looked up and shrugged. The man nodded with glee and gestured outwards. "May our beliefs give you a good journey out there sir!"
But Abrax narrowed his eyes and clenched the necklace. "What is this?"
"Well, it's the major religions of Earth sir. Christianity, Islam, Hinduism etc sir! Aren't you apart of the Divnity Creed with that get up?" He asked. Abraxas walked a few steps forward and stared at him furiously. "What are you implying? That I'm Human?"
"Well, the thing is you look like them sir. I mean no harm in telling you what you are but I just wanted to know are you with them or not?"
"I am not."
"Oh good. Because well, I'd rather not be apart of another war." The man said, looking down. Abrax's fierce attitude came to a grueling halt for now. Confused on what he was trying to say. The man looked up and let his mouth apape. "It's just that... sometimes we just want to be left alone. I'd rather not be involved in this whole unification, SDF, fanatics, what not." He scratched his head once more. "Sometimes, people don't understand the middle ground, they don't see through the hurt both sides have cost in the end and each side won't understand. Get what I'm saying sir?"
Abraxas crossed his arms and nodded slowly. Human conflict wasn't just popular news it was THE news. Human factions were always with different beliefs and goals and it seemed that the Human race will never get along unless there were alternatives.
"Safe Heaven? What exactly is their goal?" Abraxas demanded as the man shrugged. "Preserve the human faith, help out. I don't know. We settled here because we don't have homes, our ancestors once lived on Earth until the Sol Government called for the Secularization. I guess it is what it is nowadays. Unfortunately. Ever heard of the Unification War within the Sol System?" The man said. Abrax shook his head for an answer.
"Both sides had many died as a result of conflicting differences. As a result of the years Extremists such as the Lunar Children and Divinity Creed rose to power and sought out to preserve the religion faith in desperation. The SDF has combated them for years now and it seems like history repeats in the same way." He folded his arms.
"Both sides will have to find another way to coexist. But eventually they'll realize their own damages regardless." Abrax mentioned as the man nodded. "Maybe, maybe not. I hope for the best." He said.
Abraxas nodded for the final time, turning around as several locals watched him with curiosity. A wanderer. Abrax ignored this until the man called him out. "Sir, a book for your travels." Abrax turned around and saw a huge book the man was carrying, thighs quivering as he wobbled. Abraxas grabbed the book and observed it Alchemy: Vol 1. The Physician looked at him wondering what was it?
"In the old ages of Earth, this tradition was long carried out by science and natural arts of Earth. Use it well."
"Why are you giving me this?
"A spread of faith and Earth's history." He explained. Abraxas made a smirk, chuckling. "Fine." He said. Turning around.
"Wait!" The voice said once more, Abrax turned.
"Do you believe in God sir?"
"There's no reason for me to believe in him, I've wandered many years without him... But it isn't my right to force others on a belief or a restriction." He declared. Abraxas left the area and soon saw the light outside as the elevator lifted him up outside...
...
Abraxas was washing away the chalked circle with a wet rag. The possibilities of Alchemy are endless, but so are the possibilities of destruction.
Jag went down to the cargo hanger to pick up and carry the ore back to it's designated quarters, this was surprising it's first time it would actually use as well setting foot into the room.
Jag quickly open the door marked Perditus with it's implant, finding that it was the Standard set with everything needed for an soft-carbon to rest and do other actives.
To Jag through, it was useless for all but storage and an place to think in much needed pace. The Sanghvi then took it's time to reorganize the room before finally letting it's body rest upon the metal plating of the floor, turning off the lights remotely with it's implant and think in the utter darkness of the room.
Jag thought long and hard about Abraxas's use of void-bending or alchemy as soft-carbon tend to call, for an such a minor wound on the Sanghvi's shell. Through while it was much faster to do so with this art, it was also disconcerting for the veteran Sanghvi.
The greater minds told all that such practices we're inherently flawed, another reason for us lead the planet bound races into the light from the darkness. That they wouldn't suffer such horrors of the deep void, incomprehensible entities from another realm. Some traveling, others looking to make an new home. Through all of mostly theoretical, mostly.
Another reason for the Mantle's strong and uncompromising dominance was that their vassal worlds wouldn't suffer tyranny from otherworlders looking to exploit their primitive civilizations and planet's for wreath and slaves like the Collective and other do so now freely.
But Jag and the minds understand their rejections, giving up that of interstellar freedom is a hard deal to make. The freedom to explore your own systems and other worlds is too much ask for the majority of races they have encountered. But with the temporary dissolution of Mantle taking place within near space for some time, the fears of the later had begin to came true.
Hopefully the former hasn't begin already.
(( Going to bed by the way. ))
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