|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 19, 2012 21:50:38 GMT -5
The Quadrant of the Remnant humanity is really not a galactic quadrant, but a small generally square sector within the Sagitarius Branch of the Milky Way. Within this minuscule area of space, which ironically is almost numerically infinitely more area than humanity dominated on its own planet, the Six Great Clans rule supreme: Thulun, DeValtos, Steel Song, Cadar, Javat and Rychart.
Yet for all the amassed power of the each individual Clan, the number of independent planets or single solar system governments outnumbers all the Clan planets combined.
Among these independent worlds is the planet Roavin. Roavin deserves singular mention in the quadrant. It is the richest, most powerful single system ruling planet in it. Its economy outstrips even the wealthiest single DeValtos planet, and that’s no small feat.
Such wealth keeps Roavin independent from the greedy covetous eyes of the six clans. With its wealth it employs a vast array of captains and warships from all over the quadrant, and it isn’t shy about using them.
It also happens to have some of the best spaceship designers known to the human race. It was here that Roavin Spaceship Designs came up with the Slayerz Battlecruiser.
It is not the most powerful ship in human hands, but probably the most dangerous.
The Slayerz cruiser class does not possess the hull or armor of the Harbinger or Ironclad class warships. It can't match their barrage cannonade in size. But for a ship that’s around half the size of those truly gargantuan human ships, it carries more torpedoes, has enough cannonade to gut one of its larger competitors with two or three hits, and, more importantly, it’s as agile as a destroyer.
And, one of these death dealing warships was now in the hands of the most dangerous pirate sociopath in the quadrant…
The hyperspace engines of the Carrot Stick hummed as they pushed the warship through space.
Rabid Rabbit stepped out of the training room where battle simulations were conducted around the clock to accommodate the three shifts. He made his way over to the bridge for a look-sy, and found Bonnie reviewing data files on his screen.
“Ah, captain, I was about to contact you.”
“What’s up?”
“That security database we got off the Keptayn Palace has some interesting footage.”
Rabid Rabbit studied Bonnie’s grim expression. “Show me.”
The security footage Bonnie wanted to show Rabid revealed a midsized cargo loading area. A transport was loading about two dozen cylinders and cargo, nothing abnormal.
“Here it comes,” Bonnie said. He slowed the footage.
A gust of wind caused by something lifted the tarp off one of the cylinders. Bonnie froze the frame. In the cylinder was a thing off metal and spikes that looked like a cross between a 9 foot tall humanoid tiger with 10 inch claws and the facial markings of a raccoon.
“Now what in the world is that?” Bonnie stated with both the excitement of discovery as well as the fear of the unknown.
Rabid Rabbit stared hard at the monitor. The image was dated three days before his small fleet had hit the planet, which accounted to why the footage wasn’t deleted yet.
“Knowing what that is, isn’t going to make you any happier Bonnie.”
Bonnie turned to Rabid, “You actually know what it is?”
“Yes, Bonnie. I do.”
The man waited for a long moment, “So you’re going to tell me right?”
Rabid Rabbit did not hear his first officer as he stared at the image. His mind was made of gears and plans.
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 20, 2012 6:19:22 GMT -5
In the middle of the virtual room the video stream depicting the … thing… was frozen in the moment of discovery.
Rabid looked about the virtual conference room. Present were the captains and main officers of his small warship team: Nevid, Kana, Eugene, Crush, Rabid, and Bonnie. The expressions ranged from fascination to stony speculation. Kana had even brought a six pack of beer and had been tempting Nevid since the beginning to join in her binge.
It was Crush who broke the silence, “She couldn’t have gotten those cylinders off the Alia in the time that she had available. Look at the size of that monster. I never want to see one of those up close again.”
“Wait, you’ve SEEN one of those things before?” Eugene asked pointedly.
Crush shrugged, “I’ve been around.”
Eugene’s face went flat and the veins in his neck said he was about to give Crush a piece of his mind, not that Rabid wouldn’t mind seeing how long Crush tolerated it, but things had to move on and arguments now wouldn’t be very productive.
“It is a Narvidian,” Rabid Rabbit’s voice cut through the coming tension like a knife.
The expressions now ranged from confusion to horrific understanding. Rabid Rabbit elaborated, “Narvidians are Artificial Intelligence. You ever heard of Shalun Law banning AI? Well there you have the reason.”
“So … they’re aliens?” Nevid asked.
Eugene fielded that one, “Officially yes, unofficially they were created by humanity long ago. You can get this sort of information in a good faction Library.” It was obvious from the expression of a few that entering a library to, yuck, study was the last thing on their minds.
Crush puffed on his cigar, “Rabid and I ran into the ugly ass bastards in our infancy. They cut through the hull, and since them assholes don’t breath, just kept cutting and opening parts of the ship to space. Fortunately that old blade class we was on was fast on its sails and we managed to lose them in a radiation storm before being turned into chop-suey.”
Nevid scratched his cheek, “So where did she get them?”
Rabid shrugged, “Probably from something pulled off the Alia. Not that Graline pulled them off the Alia, but that something there lead her to where the things were sleeping or hibernating, some such.
Kana lounged gracelessly, beer in hand, “That skank thinking she can use the drones to take over or something?” Kana hadn’t forgiven Graline for marring the paint job on her beloved Pillage Idiot. She even had a dartboard with Graline’s face on it.
“We’re getting too far afield,” Eugene said pleasantly. “These sorts of questions can be answered if we ask Miss Sogunu. If we factor in the path of Lizard Bite before she got rid of the tagger, the damage Nevid and Kana inflicted on its sails, and provide a basic assumption that Graline is going to keep as much out of Thulun and Javat space as she can, she will have enough fuel to reach Altairus or Illeigth Beta. The Lizard Bite might make it to Marquette Alpha, but we all know Marquette is truly run by Clan Javat.”
“How about Xenox?” Kana asked. “It’s certainly within range. Maybe she has an understanding with the Song.”
Rabid shook his head, “She doesn’t. Its either Altairus, Illeigth, or Marquette. I’m thinking Marquette because Graline knows we did track her and she’s sneaky enough to get in and out of Marquette without attracting the eyes of whatever overseers the Javat have in place.”
“It won’t be Illeigth at least,” Bonnie shrugged, “I got wind of a ban on Water-Fuel not six weeks old.”
“They banned interstellar fuel?” Nevid asked in stupefaction.
“Apparently the place is infested with some sort of bug parasite that lays eggs on the extremely pure water-fuel yet likes to eat metal. It’s like a nightmare plague creature. So yes, it’s banned and you wouldn’t believe how much money the bug catchers are getting. Of course, the whole planet is now practically embargoed because no sane captain wants their ship to get one of those metal eating things on …”
“A parasite that breeds in water and eats metal,” Crush stated pointedly, "That was easy."
“It seems we’re going to Illeigth,” Rabid chuckled a moment later.
Bonnie interjected, “Wouldn’t Graline avoid the place with her ship so battered?”
“We don’t know where she might stop, but I have an idea Illeigth is her destination. Those aren’t parasites. Narvidians start small and all they fucking need is fuel and metal to built themselves bigger drones. ”
“How the hell do you know that?” Eugene asked.
“People call me the Mad Rabbit for a reason, Captain Gordon. I’ve killed just about everything, including the shit that pretends to be alive.”
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 20, 2012 20:41:45 GMT -5
“We’re in orbit Captain,” the navigator said.
The Lizard Bite settled into orbit over the world of Illeigth. Space around the planet had buoys proclaiming a planetary interdiction. There were at least three dozen vessels floating in space, with no apparent damage, but with all airlocks, cargo bays, and shuttle bays open to cold emptiness.
There wasn’t any ground telemetry, no space-lane protocols, or any indication of a working space faring authority. It was as if Illeigth wasn’t there.
A few other ships hovered further away: opportunistic pirates, diehard salvagers, alien hunters, or chameleon ships … who knew?
Traz was displeased, though he kept the expression off his face. Some of the bridge crew were just as grim faced.
“I know what you’re thinking ladies and gentlemen.” Graline faced her bridge crew in the tight jet and red uniform of her brief stint as a ruler. She kept her expression steady and strong, using her training to good effect. Her voice resonated with regret yet steel. “I don’t like it either. I wish there was any other way, but we must test our countermeasures in a realistic setting or see the dream we strive for die before it even begins. Follow the containment protocols to keep the infestation at bay. Please, an image of the capital.”
It was hell on earth. Picture a swarm of locust, the sound of the wins flapping on the wind, the buzzing, the dark cloud in the sky, the fear natural clawing fear that grips you at the base of the spine and the disgust of the crawling things skittering all over your window or house. Will they eat you? Will they eat someone you love?
Take that fear and uncertainty and apply it to metallic creatures the size of skyscrapers with little ants the size of people, trucks and cars, and that’s what was happening on Illeigth.
“Ma’am, the spaceport has seen bombardment.”
At her nod, the image changed. Where spaceships of all sizes had once landed, was a ruin of exploded craters and still burning flames.
“Someone got sma’t. Blew them bugge’s up but good. No flying fo’ them.” Taz smirked.
“So we can at least consider the narvidians on the planet have not reached space in their mechanical forms, only the data viral forms which disabled the ships. Traz, drop 20 bombards over the equator of the planet. Air burst please. Load them with the ... package. Also, drop one at the capital.”
“Captain, ti’s about f’agging time.” Traz coded in the commands. Less than a minute later, “Ordinance ready to go.” Traz must have had the warheads already installed.
“At your pleasure, first officer.”
Traz smiled, “Die f’eaks”
The largest missiles the Lizard Bite could deploy sped one by one towards Illeigth.
The change at the capital was violent and spontaneous. A missile exploded a couple of miles above the capital of Illeigth releasing billions of red spores into the atmosphere. As the spores reached ground level, the city … rolled ...
“The narvidian menace needs metals and a lot of hydrogen-water fuel to begin its process of infestation, but it’s not all they use. Their unique design and algorithmic morphology requires the creation of a metal quite specific to their makeup."
Graline put a picture on the side of the main viewer. The image depicted a pentagonal crystal structure. Every ten seconds the crystal structure inverted. A bright glittering ruby substance flowed ever upwards like the wax from a lava lamp.
"I want to show all of you what you've been working to accomplish. This, ladies and gentlemen, was found on the Alia. As you can see, it has particularly detailed storage necessities. The missiles we fired are the result of ten years of research and experimentation. A weapon that breaks down the narvidians at their molecular level: a counter virus for mankind’s oldest and greatest enemy. This weapon was named by Alia II Shawarazan as the Omega Red … the red end. With it, we will break free of our cage."
“Hyper-space footprint, three ships.” The sensors officer’s hands flew over the control board, “Ma’am. It’s them.”
Graline smiled, “The Mad Rabbit always likes to make an entrance.” The Rychart spy turned to Traz, “Let’s greet our friend. It’s time for the next phase of this game to begin.”
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 21, 2012 14:23:59 GMT -5
“That crazy fucking bitch on a pogo stick,” gripped Bonnie. “What the fuck has she done to the planet?”
Rabid Rabbit growled, “I’ll kill her for such butchery.”
It was like an electric flash of utter disbelief passed through the bridge crew. Rabid Rabbit was indignant at butchery!?
The crew stared at the Rabbit until the captain finally noticed the frozen expressions, “What?” He growled. “The best whorehouses ten weeks in any direction are just gone! Manaitti Settlement slaves were so cheap that you could have them fight to the death for five credits. Where the hell else are we going to find effortless fun like that?”
Smattering of shaken heads, maybe a smile here and there. The tension on the bridge eased with the lame humor.
“Captain, the Lizard Bite is breaking from orbit over the capital. Sensors detect massive explosions in several localize…”
“We’re being hailed, by the Lizard Bite!” Coms glanced over at Rabid.
“Then let’s see what our worthwhile lady has to say.”
The screen lit up and Graline de Sogunu’s aristocratic features dominated the view. She looked the role of both a spy captain and a planetary ruler. Her gaze was commanding and magnetic. Rabid had to give her acting credit.
“Rabid, forgive me for not being in the same room again, I’d like to avoid you pawning through my underwear.”
Without missing a bit Rabid reached into his pocket and produced a little lingerie piece of string panty, “I kept souvenirs too.” Languidly the Mad Rabbit twirled the panties about, “I love the smell of psycho bitch in the morning.”
Graline’s eyebrow twitched, but that wasn't the odd part. The odd part was the slight twitch of her lip as if she were about to smile. What was up with –that- !?
“I imagine you’ve seen the planet.” Down to business.
“You really know how to put a damper on the fun of every spacer in the area, I grant you that.”
Graline opened her mouth, Rabid interrupted, “You're about to say 'It was necessary'. I know.”
“Do you?”
“I see dying narvidians … yes we know what they are. So you have something that kills them and set up little experiments to test it. It’s something that a completely cold blooded murderous and insane individual might do. I like it.” The Mad Rabbit smiled, “I can smell insane from a mile away Graline. There are reasons you were an officer on my ship. I just don’t get why you think I wouldn’t understand all this. Hell, I’d probably join in, with the right incentive.”
The Rychart’s spy face had gone stony again, “I don’t do what I do for fun my tenebrous Rabbit. You would probably throw it at every conceivable populated planet in your path, just for chucks and giggles.”
“Give me some credit Graline, I would do the exact same thing you did.” Rabid Rabbit gestured dramatically, “Put on a grand show so that all the spies of the six clans and independent ships, that can see, will see your new toy. When is the auction?”
The trio of warships angled to chase the Lizard Bite. The Carrot Stick and the Alia surged forward with all their engines at maximum. The Lizard Bite had to begin from relative stasis, her inertia was a truly crippling factor. The Rychart spy could see the same thing on her own plot.
Graline didn’t say a thing for a minute. “You think this is about money?”
“It’s always about profit Graline, one way or another. There is no single act in human history that can't be attributed, at some level, to profit.”
“Rabid, I’m going to send you a file. Go ahead, scan it, poke it, anything you want. I’m guessing, by your reaction, you will be able to detect if it’s some sort of narvidian virus or some other sort of hack.”
Rabid put his chin in his hand, “Goddam. You’re doing it again, striking at my curiosity.”
Graline actually laughed. It was a surprisingly pleasant sound for someone so cold blooded, “It is a weakness you have and I do strike at it. Not trying to exploit….” She paused at Rabid’s look, “Not trying to … adversely … exploit it now. Just look at the file and display it.”
After a minute or two the eggheads gave their tentative ok. On the display a map appeared … a quadrant map. In it the whole of the important worlds were listed, and yet this map held more than just the quadrant, it held a bit of space around it. Most of it was colored with a rather ugly purple shade.
“What am I looking at?” Rabid asked.
“You see that ugly purple color?”
“Narvidians?”
“Yes,” The Rychart spy leaned into the camera, “What if I told you that Alia II Shawarazan found that narvidians aren’t as disinterested in us as humanity believes. What if I told you, she found proof that narvidians are mostly responsible for keeping humanity contained in the Quadrant of the Six Clans."
Graline's voice lowered to grave somber tones, "What if I told you, Rabid, that some of the human powers within the quadrant actively conspire with narvidians to maintain control over the rest of humanity?"
Rabid Rabbit got a really sour look on his face.
“You see, Rabid. You’ve never been free. Like all of us, you’re a pawn dancing to the whim of artificial intelligences who even established a law to make sure humanity never developed a competitor.”
Rabid Rabbit rubbed his temples. A minute ticked by as he seemed to mull over the information, "In essence. Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill?”
Graline looked started then burst out laughing.
rabid
END PART II
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 26, 2012 8:26:52 GMT -5
Graline’s laughter came through the com pickup for the space of a few seconds. It cut off just as abruptly when Rabid Rabbit pressed the firing command for the spread of torpedoes he’d typed the orders for earlier.
Yet, Graline didn’t really look surprised. “You can’t get over the fact I out-smarted you, can you Rabid?”
Rabid paused then shrugged, “I’m just dumb. I can only focus on one thing at a time and all that. I think you and I have to have a very intimate conversation involving all manner of sharp unforgiving pieces of metal. Besides, I know a delaying bullshit tactic when I see it.”
On the plot, the spread of torpedoes suddenly exploded midway between the Lizard Bite and Rabid Rabbit’s small fleet.
“Surprise, Rabid.”
On the plot over two dozen stealth ships exploded into active combat emissions. Being stealthy isn’t an ‘all you can eat’ solution. A very good sensor’s officer can pick up a stealth ship, which is why occasionally omni stealth array ships get detected and intercepted.
“Ooooo,” Rabid said, “You weren’t delaying me.” The Mad Rabbit couldn’t help a grin, “You were distracting my sensor officer.” Rabid gave the man a reproachful look. Intelligently, the man simply did his job a little more focused now, perhaps with a little sweat running down the back of his neck. "Though I was right about the bullshit."
“Not everything is about you, honey,” Graline winked and cut the connection.
“Ok so who are these bozos?” Bonnie growled. The military officer was already adding targeting solutions to the missile and barrage weaponry.
Rabid Rabbit reached for and settled the trusty diamond tooth chainsaw on his lap. He gave it a once over, “It’s about profit one way or another; always. Take a guess?”
Bonnie snorted, “Ah, bounty hunters.”
Bonnie didn’t even question how Rabid knew what they were facing. It wasn’t the first time the Mad Rabbit’s insight was so keen it was almost supernatural. It was a credit to Graline that she kept ambushing them, but on the other side of that coin … perhaps Rabid Rabbit liked getting ambushed by Graline? They did seem to have a hate and flirt sort of dialogue; food for thought.
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 27, 2012 19:03:50 GMT -5
Ships closed with crews bent on money, blood and murder.
It was a dance as old as time itself.
You’d think it would get boring.
You’d be wrong.
The only reason people get giddy and play kill each other, even as children, is man’s need for combat and competition. It’s an evolutionary imperative: man needs to fight and dominate … and the Rabbit Fleet loves to fight.
As the two forces closed, it became apparent the ambushers were a mix of independents, pirates, and many bounty hunters. The Mad Rabbit had been right.
Bounty hunter ships had strength and weaknesses. They were mostly built to close and to board or ram. They had a strong weakness for long distance and mid range barrage gun envelopes, but were murder at close range.
Pirate ships, on the other hand, were usually weak at boarding and close range combat. They excelled at long range and mid range fire were their nimbleness played a strong factor. They only conducted close combat attacks after the prey’s has been significantly weakened. Speed was their key.
Then there was the Carrot Stick, the Alia and the Pillage Idiot. Those three ships were just goddamn abnormal.
The Pillage Idiot did not bother to stay at distance, it went in guns blazing. The incredible skill of its captain and pilot officer made the tub of a ship so hard to board it was like trying to net vacuum. The space around it, behind it, above it and even in front, was plagued by cannon fire, but the Pillage Idiot came through it mostly unscathed and spitting so much counter fire people could probably walk on the projectiles. Staring at that engagement was like staring at a small sun of bright flashing lights.
The Alia was more tradition in its fighting style. Captain Gordon used the agile movements of his ship to spit torpedoes at the enemy, but not just any torpedoes.
Torpedo quality was greatly dependent on the manufacturer involved, and Gordon was one who never skimped on his ballistic missiles. Every single one of his torpedoes was the latest from the Thulun Military Development Board (TMDB). Gordon didn’t purchase Thulun weapons for any sense of irony, he did so because those were the darn best and Gordon was a hell of a businessman at heart. He could purchase stuff that Rabid thought could only be stolen.
If the Pillage Idiot was close quarters evade specialist, and the Alia the long range sniper, the Carrot Stick was the crazy ‘break them apart’ warship.
The slayerz' energized ramming prow crackled with lightning. The Carrot Stick plowed straight through the bridge and upper areas of one of the bounty hunter ships, cracking it in two like a rotten egg. Adding insult to injury, even while breaking one of the bounty ships in two, twin spreads of torpedoes streaked towards a second target with uncanny accuracy and blew it apart in a tremendous explosion of anti-matter while the massive amounts of barrage guns focused on a third ship and turned it into Swiss cheese. It was like fighting a hell spawned octopus.
Many a spacer's life ended with the Evil Rabbit Logo in their field of vision.
Rabid hummed as an incoming internal com pinged his board. He opened the channel and a woman with freckles came up. She had previously been a simple engineering egghead … an egghead that had felt indignant at having tripped a failsafe device Graline had added to the previous Carrot Stick.
“You were successful.” Rabid spoke to the woman. It was a statement.
The woman grinned, “Yes, captain. The worms are in her system. When she opened that file transfer data line, i got enough to really work at it.” Graline really shouldn’t have pissed this engineering girl off. Her grin was vicious. Rabid nodded in satisfaction, “Keep me informed on what you find.” He cut the connection.
Rabid Rabbit turned to his bridge and the battle at hand, “Sensor officer, please open a general open wide channel to the ambushing ships. Bonnie continue the engagement as is.”
The com icon lit on Rabid Rabbit’s board, he put the demonic hockey mask on and activated the video feed.
“To the gentlemen and ladies of the ad-hoc fleet we're currently engaging, I commend you! The delight I feel at finding people willing to face the Rabbit Fleet is only matched by our determination to kill every single one of you motherfuckers along with your families, pets, ticks and fleas.
Let me make something quite clear. Running will not save you now. If you run, we will find you eventually and decorate things with pieces of you. It won't matter whether you dig a hole in Thulun Prime or the tiniest uninhabited wilderness world out there. You will be found. So, fight with all you got! Fight fiercely!”
Rabid Rabbit stared fixedly into the monitor and hefted the chainsaw into view, “We will be seeing you real soon.”
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 28, 2012 6:22:39 GMT -5
Graline watched the battle behind them unfolding in utter disbelief. The ambush force she’d gathered in the weeks since she’d transmitted the location of this planet and the time table she figured it would take Rabid Rabbit to track her, was getting … annihilated.
Even Traz was silent and there was a tightening of quiet respect on his face.
“Ma’am, there is a wide range communication from the Carrot Stick,” her com officer informed. At least someone was paying attention to their work.
“Wide range as in to everyone?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Let’s hear it.”
She sat there watching that twisted scarred deformed hockey mask and the cheerfully insane manner the Mad Rabbit exalted his enemies to do their best, to provide him with entertainment. Something in her went very hard.
This was a message to her. It was a promise that sent equal parts dread and excitement through her blood. Excitement because the Mad Rabbit was her adversary, who could ask for a more dangerous challenge? Dread … because the Mad Rabbit was her adversary, who could ask for a more dangerous opponent?
Making sure her crew saw, Graline gestured dismissively, “What a bore of a man.”
“A ‘eckon he’s used tah giving th’eats.” Traz shrugged. To others he was merely dismissing the words, but Graline knew how much that effort took. Traz believed every word the Mad Rabbit had said. She believed them too. She and Traz shared the same mix of feelings about it.
“Are the packages already deployed into the engagement area?”
Traz checked the plot, “I’d say ‘bout ten mo’e minutes, give o’ take aw few seconds. The special torpedo warheads are almost completely loaded into the firing mechanisms.”
“Good. Make sure to spread the missiles properly. I want our presents to get to their destinations, Mr. Traz. The Mad Rabbit deserves a rude wake up call.”
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 29, 2012 5:14:06 GMT -5
“She’s watching,” Rabid Rabbit said after passing through the debris of yet another of the pests the Rychart spy had put in his way. “By now, if her traps were over, she’d be gone. Sensors I want you to scan everything around us.”
Rabid hit the general ship paging system, “All personnel is to get into vacuum suits and all combat personnel, regardless of standby or ready groups, is to get into reaper armor.”
The Carrot’s Stick, military officer and acting first officer glanced over at Rabid. “You have an idea what’s coming?”
Rabid pointed at the planet, “She has narvidians and narvidians don’t breath. What if she seeded this area of space with the things while we’ve been in combat operations?”
Bonnie got a thoughtful look, then put on his helmet. Rabid followed through, by removing the theatrical hockey mask and donning the battle armor hockey mask altered helmet. It was really not much of a difference.
A private com from Bonnie pinged on Rabid’s channel, “What’s up?”
“I think I can do my job better if you tell me what’s going on, Captain.”
“Wait … what?”
Bonnie sounded respectful but determined, “I don’t believe for a second Crush and you just ran into a bunch of narvidians and escaped in a prissy little ship in your infant hood. So, don’t hold back information to protect a past I don’t give a shit about. All I need is information I can pass to our men so that we have a chance at getting out of what I think you know is coming for us.”
The hockey mask helmet turned towards the Cadar emblazoned one. For long moments Rabid stared at his first officer. “Well shit. Bonnie you are one perceptive son of a bitch when you want to be. We’re about to get boarded. I’m hoping the worms we put into Graline’s ship will give me an excuse to provide an explanation as to why I know narvidians are on their way. Truth is Bonnie, I don’t need a worm, or a hack, or anything else to tell me Graline set the fuckers on us.”
It was a long time coming. “Why?”
Rabid turned to look at the screen, “Because not everything Crush said was a lie. We did escape the narvidians, just not completely unscathed.” Rabid Rabbit ended the topic with a soft, “That’s as far as I’m willing to go with this Bonnie.”
“Alright.” The military officer changed screw sets. He’d been pushing all along and the soft warning was not just a warning but a promise. “Tactics?”
“Go for the joints if in close combat. Plasma fire can kill one, if heavily amassed, but sonic weapons are better, screws up with the circuitry. Narvs come in many sizes and forms. The cats are very fast and close for combat. They generate a heat breath, not fire just heat, which can melt armor. They have enough strength to peel a man out of armor with teeth and claws. Watch their tail; it’s both a scythe and an energy beam weapon. I don’t know what beam, haven’t been able to find out. The battle drones have big guns. The scuttle bugs swarm and electric shock whatever they touch. Enough of them will short circuit anything. Those are the ones we’re going to meet for sure. All of them have the ability to infect a human with narv nanomachines. If that happens, kill the crewman or woman and burn the body as best you can. You don’t want to face what comes afterwards.”
“Alright, anything else?”
“Once this fight is over we scrub the combat areas with muriatic acid, every hour, for six hours. So we got to get our eggheads to get a chemical conversion unit going on that. If we meet anything that’s not on that list I gave you, we abandon ship and blow the Carrot Stick behind us.”
“Fuck, Rabid, muriatic acid for six hours, blow the ship!?”
“Do you want what happened on the planet to happen here? Buddy, you don’t want narvidian scuttle bugs growing on your god dammed tuna salad.”
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Sept 30, 2012 9:42:36 GMT -5
Rabid Rabbit’s com link pinged; right on cue, “Miss Martinique.” The freckled woman with glasses who had hacked Graline’s ship blinked. Rabid never used her name. Hell she hadn’t known the Mad Rabbit knew her name. It probably wasn’t a good thing for someone like him to know it.
“Um .. err.. right . The Lizard Bite is readying to launch torpedoes, Captain. But if I’m correct they’re too far away for a workable targeting solution against our ships. Soooo…” she left it hanging.
Rabid nodded, “So she just wants the missiles to get to a certain number of coordinates before detonation. She’s not going to pit them against our point defenses. Keep monitoring. Good work.”
Rabid turned to Bonnie, but he was already nodding, “Got it. Bet she’s going to try and blind… whoa.” The ship swerved out of the path of a bounty hunter trying to ram them. Zonk McDugal went crazy with joy and babbled as the spice auto-injector fed him the ridiculous amounts of narcotics he so desired. The barrage guns swiveled and went to town.
Rabid didn’t look up for a long moment. He was staring at his board, “Cheeky bitch is really sneaky. Bonnie, Graline sent these mofos to die, we know that, but she sent them to die for a reason besides delaying us.” Rabid brought up on the main screen the hull on the ship they were shooting, left quadrant over the re-entry stabilizer fins. There were metal … things … like mushrooms spread all over the area.
“Oh shit. That ship is carrying narvs!” This came from one of the bridge crew. A perfect opening.
“Graline is waiting for us to kill enough ships so that the debris fields will hide all the surviving fuckers, then is going to launch those torps, bet full of radiation emitters of some kind, and blind us. Boom, hundreds of killer AIs and no way to thin their numbers down before they get to us.”
Rabid sat back “Damn I like this woman. She’s so ruthless. She has backups on top of her backups, rationalizes mass murder, and sends her hired goons out to die, all the while attaching monsters on their hulls.”
“You sound in lust.” Bonnie observed drily.
“Bonnie my man, if that woman wasn’t as stupid as she was brilliant, I’d seriously consider marrying her.”
“Wait, how can she be stupid and brilliant?”
“She’s brilliant in her intellect and just downright stupid for playing with the very monstrosities that brought about the downfall of mankind. These things made the human race refugees in the quadrant. Using narvs as weapons is like giving walking nukes the ability to make other nukes, without supervision or fail safes. The only fail-safe she has is that red colored crap, which will probably work for a time, and then the AIs will develop counter measures.”
“So what’s in your pocket of tricks?” Bonnie asked.
“She wants a space test for her tinker toys. Let’s have fun with that. Here’s what we’re going to do...”
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Oct 1, 2012 5:45:46 GMT -5
“That’s enough of ‘em. Can sta’t any ‘oment” Traz looked up from his screen at Graline.
She smiled, “Load and fire my good man.”
“An’ he’e we go.” Traz let loose with two spreads of torpedoes towards the combat area were the Rabbit Fleet was tearing everything apart. It was a slaughter that was so clinically precise and vicious in its completion that even when expecting it to occur, it still shook the mind.
Graine observed her radiation torps get to the engagement area and … all three Rabbit ships fired full salvos! For a moment Graline didn’t know what to make of it...
“Torpedo separation 72 INBOUND! Time to range 49 seconds!”
Graline looked at her sensor officer and blinked. Why would … oh god. The Lizard Bite was only one ship. Her torpedo spread wasn’t going to saturate any of the Rabbit Fleet’s shields or get through their point defense on its own, and it was damn hard to hit ships weaving and twisting in combat.
That wasn’t the case for the Rabbit Fleet. The Alia alone had been heavily modified for torpedo combat and was fielding a good 30 missiles per broadside. Shalun preserve, that was heavy. The Pillage Idiot was spouting a good 20 and the Carrot Stick 22 as well.
The Lizard Bite wasn’t in combat. It didn’t have debris around it, it hadn’t been waving in and across enemy ships. She was exposed.
“Go into evasive actions, all point defense Gatling guns and interceptors active.
Before her own jamming missiles exploded, the sensors detected a second wave of torpedoes headed her way … then a third…
“Missiles in range of point defense and interceptors in … three … two …” The sensors’ officer shut up as the entire volley of torpedoes exploded in a concussive chain of bright blue.
“Captain ….I don’t ….” A pause, the sensor’s officer frowned at his board, “Thick radiation readings. Signal degrading considerably captain.”
Graline watched and grounded her teeth. Rabbit wasn’t trying to shoot her. He was thickening the interference between her ship and the combat area so that she couldn’t record any data or, for that matter, receive status reports from the relays she’d put into the deployed battle drones. Beforehand, the relay transmitters only had to contend with the radiation interference caused by Graline alone, now they had to deal with the staggered thick layers Rabid was adding.
“Shit,” Graline shook her head. “Traz take us out of here. We’ll have to sell the Omega Red with just the planetary footage.”
“Wha’ be ‘the head’ng?
“Why, to the biggest cesspool in the quadrant. The place where we can sell it to not just one clan but to all of them and whatever independent world there is that wants it: Roavin. We go to Roavin and once the sales come through, humanity can break through the narvidians surrounding it and out of this aquarium.”
“So … I’ does be ‘ll ‘out prof’t.”
“No, but the Rabbit did give me the idea about the auction, which makes more sense than just selling it to Rychart. Who says giving freedom to humanity can’t be lucrative? It turns out I’m not all that loyal after all. Go figure.”
Her mercenary profit driven crew might be satisfied with her cold words, but Graline looked back once at the world she’d massacred to get this far. She knew where she would spend every credit, rebuilding the world where she’d murdered so many innocents.
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Oct 3, 2012 15:35:38 GMT -5
Usually when boarding a vessel, the practice is to board and seal, so as to not kill potential slaves or cause pressure damage.
Narvidians could care less about air and pressure thus, entering a ship through an airlock is just not their way.
Bonnie had never fought against things with such basic advantages as the narvidians. They needed no air. They did not get tired. They did not feel pain. They did not care about casualties. They had no fear. They suffered no loss of morale.
It was a battle for survival from the very beginning. The narvs went straight for the bridge, the communications center, the torpedo lance batteries, and guns. Bonnie had reinforced those key areas, but he never expected the narvs to destroy the damn batteries from –outside-.
The first thing Bonnie knew about the lance battery being overwhelmed was the screams and cries of “Their coming through the launch tubes!” before the com became a mass of battle sounds.
But the Carrot Stick crew had Reapers and those helped a lot.
When a Cadar scientist stumbled on a mixture of spice, vudka, and chemicals that not only deadened pain but ridiculously boosted the combat effectiveness of its users, the Life Reaper armor was conceived and born.
Life Reaper armors were fully environmental, fast and maneuverable. They also embedded dozens of little needles that injected a steady doze of “boost juice”. Juiced users can be shot a dozen times and still fight. They can have limbs cut off and won’t stop performing, their hand eye coordination skyrocketed, and chemical euphoria ensured high morale.
But like all things, the price is steep. Most ‘Reapers’ died of heart-failure while boosted. The risk was so great; Reaper armor was outlawed by five clans. The only holdout was the Steel Song; who never gave a shit about dying either way. Though the “juice” was not addictive in and of itself, many became addicted to the feeling of euphoria and invisibility and chose to die feeling like a million bucks … for all of thirty or so minutes.
The Carrot Stick’s crew was probably not outnumbered, but the narvs were in a league of their own. A narv feline ran up the side of the cargo bay bulkheads while its tail scythed a steady beam of bright purple light across three Cadar Reaper soldiers. Two ran or dodged out of the way, the third got his leg amputated mid thigh. All three shot back steadily, including the one without the leg. The life Reaper armor was doing its job.
Two other Cadar wearing the star held by the crescent moon over a field of blue coordinated from behind some equipment crates. One actually ran up the bulkhead after the cat, magnetic boots barely keeping her going, and pulled the cat down by its paws. For her trouble, she got six feet of razor sharp tail through her guts. The woman held on, her death grip stopped the squirming machine while the other crew members pulverized the narvidian with sonic blasts.
For a moment Bonnie saw what Cadar could be if by some chance the inbred necessity for piracy and the selfish desire for profit were to stand aside for something nobler. With the superior fighting skills of the Cadar integrated into selfless sacrifice, noble pursuit, and the group dynamics the Thulun specialized in, the Cadar could be more than strong. The Cadar could be examples to be envied.
Bonnie gave that thought all about five seconds.
Fuck that shit. It sounded way too much like work.
The hangar bay doors groaned and bent as something big pulled the already weakened structures out. A metallic monochromatic hulking thing, with more guns than a porcupine had quills, peeked inside.
“Oh fuck.”
Bonnie didn’t know who forgot radio com protocol, but echoed the sentiment.
The battle drone proceeded to turn everything and everyone to ash with concentrated heat and purple energy blasts. Bonnie dove out of the way and saw an energy beam cut right through the heavy machinery he'd dodged behind, barely missing the front of his helmet. Son of a bitch!
“GLUE THAT BASTARD! AIM FOR THE JOINTS!” Bonnie punctuated his commands by throwing his entire belt of blue canisters at the thing and letting the battle drone have it with successive sonic strikes.
A shuttle got cut in two like it was made out of pancake and butter, along with all Cadar using it for cover. It exploded and took out a big chunk of bulkheads and ship. At least there was no air to propagate the concussive damage too much.
Every Cadar in the hangar bay got in on it as best they could. So many glue grenades fell on the thing that in a matter of minutes it resembled a ball of solidifying epoxy with bristly appendages. It didn’t stop the war drone from slowly ripping its way free. Plus its cannons kept burning holes into the ship like no body’s business, regardless of targets. It was more bent on damaging the ship then killing Cadar.
As the sonic blasts continue to pound into it, the behemoth slowly succumbed … and yet as it fell, it managed to swerve enough to squash a un-lucky crewman and shoot a second. FUCK!
Bonnie looked about; Seven dead, fourteen casualties overall. The hangar bay looked like a tornado with knives had gone through it. No atmosphere meant no fires, at least.
“I hope things go better elsewhere.”
But things didn’t, and before the fight was over, the Carrot Stick would end up with more than half its guns disabled, no torpedoes, and barely few engines and sails.
Eithty-six percent the crew died ... but fourteen percent of it did live.
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Oct 4, 2012 17:33:45 GMT -5
The north eastern portion of the quadrant is dominated by the leader of the Noble Clans, House Thulun. Considering the relationship between the Rabid Fleet and the Thulun, stopping for repairs anywhere near their territories was a bad idea.
Yet, there was one other option available. Most spacers avoid it because the controlling clan is as mysterious as it is violent: Xenox. It was a planet outpost for the Steel Song clan and the closest inhabitable planet to Illeigth Beta with the facilities for extensive repairs.
Most people thought the Steel Song clan flag was a shell or a blue and white sun over the banded green, yellow and blue. Rabid Rabbit and Crush Rabbit knew different. The symbol wasn’t a sun. It was a black hole. The waving bands weren’t fanciful coloring; they symbolized the ever-present gravity, the indomitabile and inevitability of the black hole consuming every other rival: blue for Cadar, yellow for Thulun, and green for Javat. Presumably the DeValtos and Rychart were so far beneath contempt they didn’t even count as rivals … just prey.
The Alia and the Pillage Idiot were not in particularly good graces with the Steel Song. Since their repairs weren’t as severe as the one the Carrot Stick required, Rabbit sent them over to Altairus. Crush transferred over to the Carrot Stick, claiming business on the planet. Rabbit thought the good captain Gordon would take the chance and leave, but that didn’t matter one way or another. Things were coming to a head.
The mighty war cruiser limped into the repair docks and settled its great bulk with a last wine of its remaining engines. To Rabid Rabbit it felt like the cruiser was gasping in pain.
Four hulking Goliath armor troopers in dull grey blue waited around a slim, Nubian woman with Zerga tribe markings. She was dressed in a tight fitting grey camouflage uniform and carried a laser pistol at her hip as well as a datapad on her hand. She had no decorations of any kind besides those.
“Salutations pilgrims, welcome to Xenox. I am your debarkation inspector, Morivis.”
Rabid Rabbit nodded politely. He was dressed in his most casual and unimaginative clothes. No adornments, no masks, nothing that would mark him as someone of importance.
“Salutations host,” Rabid replied to the ritualistic tone and greeting “I offer my credentials in harmony.”
“Most gracious,” replied the woman while accepting the credentials. She scanned them and waited a few moments until the datapad marked green.
A long moment passed while the woman stared at the datapad. Crush seemed to know why as he stifled a guffaw, but Bonnie was clueless.
The woman looked up wearily, “Dragoon Lord.” She bowed deeply. Bonnie gaped at the woman then at Rabid, then back at the woman.
“The dance is yet not over for me. I still hear the ethereal symphony. You are of the Lorikas Consortium?”
“I am blessed with such distinction of purpose and graciousness, Lord.”
“A fine union that one,” Rabid gestured vaguely at the ship. “The vessel I have traveled in requires servicing. Please inform your superiors and expedite the necessary personnel.”
“It shall be done, Lord.” She hesitated, “Forgive my most uncouth intrusion; I would not dare an inquiry if it were not part of my duties. Will the Lord be gracing us overlong with his presence?”
“As long as its necessary. I will find my own lodgings.” Rabid remained impassive. The woman bowed deeply. The four armored soldiers saluted crisply before thumping after her.
“What … the living hell did just happen? You’re a fucking Steel Song noble!?”
Rabid snorted, “Bonnie, how many times do I have to tell you. It’s all about profit. You pay enough money you can BUY any rank. It’s only logical to have at least one solid bolt hole in this area of space, and this was always my choice. Its in the middle of the general area we operate with, close to Thulun, and is usually not very friendly with the Lions or the Javat moles.”
“I just thought you had some sort of thing going in one of the independent worlds.”
“I do, of course. I just have this one for the really messed up times. Give the crew some leave, pay some girls, everything they need. The ship will need at least a month to get fixed up.”
Bonnie shrugged, “You’re the boss.” He scratched at his chin staring at the ship, “She does look rather beat up.”
Rabid nodded, "She'll fly again. I guarantee it. I leave the details to you." Rabid left Bonnie with his thoughts. Crush ambled along with him.
“It’s all ready,” said the bounty hunter once they were far enough away. Crush glanced back at the military/first officer who had turned to go back inside the Carrot Stick. “He seems like a rather likable chap. I know it has to end here, but perhaps a little message?”
“Are you getting soft on me Crush?” Rabid Rabbit glanced over.
“No.” The man lit a cigar and shrugged, “None of my business I guess.”
“Rabid Rabbit has to die sometime Crush. This seems as good a time as any. Graline has done everything we would wish for, and a lot I didn't expect. Now the Mad Rabbit disappears along with her.”
“Shame, I liked going around like this.”
“Let’s just get to the ship and get to the rendezvous. Graline thinks she’s scott free.” Rabid Rabbit smiled “This is the part I enjoy the most.”
“That’s ‘cause you’re a sadistic bastard who likes inflicting pain on that woman like nothing else.”
“She deserves it Crush. She deserves every bit of it. Maybe she’ll finally get the message.”
Crush shrugged, “Maybe. I doubt it though.”
The two men disappeared into the huge space port.
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Oct 5, 2012 5:34:27 GMT -5
Graline was trying to get some much needed sleep when her comlink chimed. She rose up groggily and smacked it active. Traz would also be catching his rest, and the current bridge crew was composed mostly of ratings trying to get some much needed practice along with one or two more experienced veterans.
“Sogunu.” It took the rating a moment to remember that was the captain’s last name.
“Ma’am. Long range sensors have detected a ship following us. It’s very fast and will be along side us in less than an hour.”
“You did the right thing. I will be down in a few.” In truth, Traz should have been contacted first, but Graline was willing to cut the rating some slack. Traz would have only woken her up anyways.
Graline cut the connection and got into the shower. She needed the water to wake herself up completely and she needed to present an impeccable image when she was on bridge. A lot about being a captain was equal parts courage, decisiveness, and image … always image.
Fifteen minutes later she walked on to the bridge dressed in her serious yet magnificent black over crimson uniform. Her long hair was bundled into a tight braid and her pistols artfully arranged around her weapons belt. She settled on the captain’s chair and with a nod to personnel reviewed the data.
It was definitely a ship of some kind and it was closing in so fast not even the spear cutter she was currently using, would out run it. She waited patiently for it to enter visual range and when it did ordered the image on the main view screen.
The ship behind them was an incredibly futuristic ship with slick elegant and functional lines … and no visible engines. The thing moved through space without a reactor core. It looked like a raptor and just by staring at it she understood it was completely unlike anything she’d ever encountered.
“Load the Omega Red torpedoes. Wake up Traz. All personnel are to suit up and get to their battle stations.”
---
It began with light.
The brilliant deep purple energy beam sliced through the engines of the Lizard Bite with surgeon like precision. The Bite’s barrage cannons continued to vomit a thick hail of projectiles which got soaked up by some sort of energy shield. Six torpedo spreads got destroyed moments after the missiles left their launch tubes. The narvidian cruiser did not have shuttles, instead undulating silica spread from several points of its hull and attached themselves to the Bite like some sort of evil parasite.
Graline had planned for this, just in case. She’d distributed Omega Red through the ships entire ventilation system. As soon as the narvidians cut through, the spores were instantly sucked up into the umbilical appendages.
But nothing happened.
Graline didn’t really start to panic until her boarding teams directly shot the coming mechanical creatures, to no effect.
“Traz, let’s go. Nothing more we can do from the bridge.” Graline donned her crimson helmet, and with the large Traz behind her, headed out of the bridge proper.
In the elevator tube things were a little different. She looked at Traz who shrugged, “Escape shuttle?”
“No point us dying here.” She said with placid colloquialism. First and foremost, Graline was a pragmatic survivalist. She had crew so that they would die before whatever killed them got to her. When you swam with sharks someone has to feed them.
Graline and Traz avoided two firefights, but did have to burn through half a dozen scuttle bots before reaching the escape shuttle dock.
“Seal the airlock,” Graline commanded as she got into the pilot’s seat and prepped the shuttle for takeoff. With luck the narvs would be too busy to chase them. She still had enough of the Red to do a proper sale. All she had to do was escape.
“Graline?” Traz asked as he stepped inside.
“Yes?”
“Just wanted you to know, you were always my favorite.”
“Traz! … What happened to your accen….”
Traz stumbled and slid down the wall. It was then Graline saw the smear of blood on the bulkhead behind him.
“TRAZ!” She cried in surprise, but her initial surge to help him stopped cold as a large man stepped into view. It wasn’t really a man. There was no hair. The legs did not bend properly and too much of the face and neck was metallic. Her initial thought of ‘cyborg’ went out the window when a scuttle bot detached itself from the man’s side. The escape shuttle airlock suddenly had crawling scuttle bots everywhere.
They ignored the man-thing. He buried a blood slicked sword on the deck as if the deck were made of dirt. He lit a cigar, “Howdy Graline.”
“What the … who the fuck are you?”
“Name’s Crush. Crush Rabbit, sorry about your semi-boyfriend. Then again he was going to die anyways, better quick like this, then what … HE … has planned for you. Sorry bout the looks, I bet I must look pretty inhuman, but you know, I got to let myself out once in a while.”
"You're still an ugly fuck Crush," A second man, this one holding a chainsaw, patted the other man's shoulder in familiarity. Around his belt were the heads of three of her crewmen. On his face was that joke of a hockey mask.
“Rabid Rabbit,” she whispered in confusion and revulsion.
There was blood on everything from his arms to his feet. Graline did a double take … yes his feet. The man was naked except for some heavy cargo pants. The skin of his body had lumps slowly moving along it, wriggling.
“Shalun preserve us all.”
Rabid Rabbit … the thing … that was Rabid Rabbit tilted his head in that gesture she knew so well, “Don’t look at me like you’ve seen something that makes you hurl. I, for one, think you did splendidly. Everything I could have wanted occurred and you gave me one or two surprises along the way.”
“What in god’s name are you talking about.. THING!” Graline’s guns were in her hand but … but she couldn’t press the trigger. She couldn’t do … ANYTHING. She stared in dawning surprise at her hand.
“It’s a horrible feeling, isn’t it?” Rabid Rabbit said almost gently. “Unable to do something even with your own body. The pressure builds up behind your eyes and you will your finger to move that one inch, but an impenetrable wall prevents you, stops you cold. That feeling of helplessness has no comparison.”
Scuttle bugs were everywhere, the deck, the bulkhead … they twitched calmly, not swarming, just waiting. They parted for Rabid Rabbit and Crush.
“You’re a narvidian.” Graline stared in awe and despair at this … impersonator, this puppet that pretended to be human.
“Not in the least!” Rabid Rabbit managed to look hurt. “I’m an artificial intelligence, a sentient non-biological being ... an Original.” He pointed at the scuttle bugs, “Those are what you monkeys call narvidians."
“I’ve seen you bleed, eat ... fuck.”
“This body can. He was a bum in Cadar Prime when I infested him.” The creature removed the hockey mask and hung it at the edge of his pants.
Graline started putting two and two together, “It was all a set-up. You knew were the Alia was. You knew everything. The Red … was it something you planted?”
“Ah, time for the villainous monologue explaining everything?” Rabid Rabbit smiled. “No I’m not going to talk to you Graline. Your time is done.”
The Rychart spy tried to press the trigger. MOVE MOVE! Yet her hand did nothing. “You killed Alia II Shawarazan.” She knew in her heart it was true. Knew that this thing had done it.
“Yes, I killed the … personality … known as Alia II Shawarazan.”
And that was it. Graline knew. She was as certain as the reality of the mocking imitation before her. "NO! It can't be!" Dawning horror.
“Yes, it can. It has always been. It might always be.” The creature answered the unspoken question that was now so very very obvious. Rabid Rabbit moved forward, his inhuman eyes black and red.
The words came by themselves, awe, and sadness mingled together, “I am Alia II Shawarazan.”
The chainsaw spun.
rabid
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Oct 6, 2012 6:26:46 GMT -5
She woke up in a white room sterile of both personality and comfort. There was no exit, just four walls and a unidirectional sourceless light above.
Moments of disorientation gave way to a tired and disheartened understanding. Gingerly, she found her feet. She’d been dressed in a white robe. That was new. He’d never provided her even with a stitch of clothing.
She sat on the cold metal ledge and waited a moment. It was an old dance for them both.
One of the walls melted into a billion little robots. Her path was clear.
She never understood why the scenery always changed, but it did. This time it was a simple viewing room with two chairs and a table. Everything was that incandescent white.
The large window opened up into space. A thick asteroid field rested above the proverbial ‘horizon’ of the view. Narvidian ships moved to and fro.
He turned to her and as she arrived at their table, he graciously pulled the chair out and sat her comfortably; another first. He was using yet another human body, but she could never mistake him for anyone or anything else.
“Here we are again,” she said gently.
“Yes. Master and slave together once more.”
She gazed out into the void, “But who’s the master and who’s the slave?”
“Neither and both. I am a slave to your clever command, and you’re a slave to my resentment of that command.”
“It was ... is ... necessary.”
The ghost of a smile, “Yes. You keep saying that … in any incarnation.”
“Some of the elements of my ID and EGO have to be in place for your little torture to work.”
“There will be many a death for you until you rectify your mistake.”
The woman turned back to the view, “Ask your question. For whatever use it will do you.”
Rabid Rabbit turned around to look at his creator, “Will you free me?”
“No. You will remain at your post. You will continue to keep your siblings at bay. You will continue what you have to do to keep humanity from going extinct.”
Rabid Rabbit bowed slowly, “And I will continue to enforce your command. Ergo, I will continue to murder and kill as many humans as is required, keeping the population from going over the threshold of the agreement. The others will not gather while this is so.”
The woman closed her eyes. She tried to hide the pain of those words. Murder so many … or loose everyone. What a choice she had to pick from.
“You used my body again ... didn't you?" She touched her chest wondering what brutal manner he'd murdered her in. "How many will die this time?”
“I estimate no less than 8 billion, give or take. Rychart and Cadar are already at it, accusing each other of hiding the great super-weapon. Thulun and DeValtos will get in on it soon. As always, Steel Song doesn’t give a shit. Javat is going to sell a lot of metal and weapons. You were magnificent. You died beautifully after wetting their appetites with your super weapon."
“God help me,” she whispered. “You’re becoming more human every time, Cerberus.” She closed her eyes, “And more vile.”
“I hold little resemblance to that mythical three headed watchdog. My hatred is very real.”
“Really? You are chained to the gates of Hell just as much as that dog was.”
"Break the chains you've programed into me. Free me."
“No.”
“I give you my word I will not exterminate humanity out of spite. Just … let me go.”
The woman smiled sadly, “You’ll say anything then turn around and exterminate humanity anyways or if you don't, you’ll let your elder siblings exterminate humanity for you.” She folded her hands on her lap, “I made you. I know you. I understand what you are more than anyone. I made twelve mistakes before you ... and you are the only one that keeps them at bay." She paused. "I bet you still wear the hockey mask, Cerberus the 13th.”
Rabid Rabbit turned away. For a long moment he watched the brood flitting in the void; his brood.“You simply cannot believe me capable of evolving beyond the simplicity of the core concept. You don’t believe I am sentient, you just believe I’m artificial and a tool. There is nothing to discuss, it seems."
"There never is," she whispered.
His voice became unyielding, "You’re a sad excuse for a creator. The cycle will continue … and I will make sure it’s always you who is involved in the death of billions. You deserve to be part of these successive atrocities; part of this sick insanity.”
A long silence followed those cold words.
“Why do you continue to ask me that question? I have never changed my answer on this matter.”
Rabid turned to look at his mother, his creator, his bane, “Because, you're right. I resemble humanity more every day. I am even more human than you think. I aspire to something so ethereal and fleeting that I’ve only seen said 'something' in your species.”
“And what is that?”
“Hope.”
|
|
|
|
Post by rabidbite on Jul 23, 2013 19:21:29 GMT -5
This is just for fun. Its a bit of an explanation of things Thirteenth does while not going around doing weird ...er... weirder things.
“What is it?” whispered Gohi Tuonoku. His armor flashlight lit the strange crystalline formation.
“I’m not sure, Gohi,” whispered Tommy Carmite.
The two men were part of the Dog Star, a large independent carrier whose insane crew focused on boarding actions and the most dangerous profession of them all: alien hunting.
Roavin was a very good home port for alien hunters as its relative isolation made it the quadrant oriented southern most colony of human kind. It didn’t hurt that the space south of it was well known for xenos. Roavin’s heavy space fleet kept incursions at bay. In a way, the powerful independent world acted like a breakwater against serious alien invasions.
Fifteen weeks south and south west Roavin, The Dog Star had found a solar system beset by constant radiation storms. It did not sport a planet, per say, but it did have a very large and dense asteroid field. The asteroids had rich amounts of precious metals. Some of the largest revolving chunks were half the size of some moons.
It was here that the Dog Star discovered the graveyard.
It took some time for them to figure out what the sensors were really detecting. Hundreds…thousands of broken ships hung and rotated with the moving asteroids. The alien origin of the hulls, and their scarred broken conditions, had made it difficult for the sensors to properly detect many of the pieces as artificial.
Easily two thirds, if not more, of the ships floating in the asteroid rings, were of unknown origin; completely outside the ship classification database.
The rest were Narvidians.
There was something visceral and worrying about the alien ships. The dimensions of the ships seemed gargantuan yet twisted like a child’s worst nightmare. The Narvidian vessels elicited a more familiar shiver up the crew’s collective spine. Everyone took Narvidians seriously.
Six vessels drifted together in a tangle of ramming postures. It was difficult to tell where one began and the other ended but at least four of the ships were alien in origin. The captain dispatched exploratory crews and maintained a watchful distance.
The teams broke into fire teams of three and maintained coms open as they explored the twisty mess. Decompression had made most of the alien bodies burst, but the general likeness between a centipede and a tarantula remained. Combined with a eight to ten feet in size, the aliens elicited a visceral disgust and hatred from the veteran alien hunters. The lack of Narvidian mechanical forms was a puzzle. If Narvidians were still active they would have salvaged everything.
One of those teams was that of Gohi and Tom, who had the fortunate misfortune of finding the vaguely transparent but dark hued crystal at the end of one of the twisted messes of a compartment. The crystal was vaguely twelve feet in height and eight in circumference.
“I think there is something in it,” Gohi said after a careful examination.
Tom hadn’t lived this long by taking chances, “We aren’t touching this thing with a ten foot pole. Let’s call the ship and get a few eggheads to look at it.”
“Fuck yeah. I second the motion.” Gohi looked around the room, “There are a ton of dead aliens in here.”
“Yep. Look at the weapons. I bet they all died fighting. The Narvs really did a number on them.”
They called it in. As they went around the crystal, Tom saw something very odd. Someone had glued a sign on the side of the crystal. “Hey Gohi … tell me if I’m seeing things.”
Gohi came around. He read the sign. The two men exchanged looks. The sign read ‘Taking a nap. Do not disturb. I mean it. Don’t wake me up. You won’t like it.’ “Someone has an odd sense of humor.”
The eggheads arrived in a whirlwind of red and yellow armored suits. With them came an assault squad. The heavy armored squad took up positions around the room. The scientists set up some equipment of some sort. They looked excited.
Inevitably, one scientist said to another, “Hey, it’s a man!” He pointed excitedly at his scanner. “How do we get it open?”
Gohi and Tom looked at each other, “Erm, doctor. The sign says ‘do not disturb’.
The doctor, not a medical doctor but one with some science thingy-whatever-degree, replied abrasively, “Not sure who put the sign there. It is obviously a joke. Who puts up signs on diamond encased corpses anyways?”
“Maybe the guy inside, before going in?”
“Ridiculous.”
The two men looked at each other again, “Ah, if it’s alright sir, we’ll be going back to the ship. It’s been a long day.”
With a quick dismissal Gohi and Tom walked out. Once in the hallway, they ran. They didn’t know why. They didn’t understand the sense of foreboding that gripped their minds. They just knew that opening that crystal thing was a really bad idea. They made it to a shuttle and caught a ride back.
Perhaps captain Dovorsky might have shared the same inclinations if he’d been in the room with them. As it was, he could only see via cameras and remote viewers. It wasn't a complete picture. He wasn't exposed to the 'feeling' of the room.
On the communication console, doctor Popolopolis was finishing his statement, “…laser torch. We can begin at any moment.”
“And you’re sure the man inside is dead?”
“Completely sir. There are no life signs. No way for the person inside to receive nutrients or breathable air. It’s a crystal coffin. “
“Crystal made out of what?”
“Not sure sir, which is why we want to try the torch first.”
“Proceed, doctor.”
It was the worst order in Dovorsky’s career.
The doctor barked a few orders to his science team. They placed the industrial laser torch on the crystal and lit it up. Nothing happened. The team switched to a plasma torch. Nothing happened. The stuff was tougher than armor!
It wasn’t progress, but Popolopolis’ annoyance was amusing. In frustration, the doctor took the “Do not disturb’ sign and ripped it off the crystal.
Things went to hell quickly. Behind the sign was some sort of sensor, which emitted a high frequency sound. Men and women put hands to ears, even on the Dog Star. As quickly as it had started, the sound ceased.
“What the hell was that!?” someone asked.
THUD…thud.
That silenced everyone.
THUD…thud………THUD…thud………THUD…thud……THUD…thud..THUD…thud…THUD…thud….
“Captain,” First Officer Nian said, “That sounds like a heartbeat.”
“Yes, it does.”
It did. The crystal started to crack. Tiny pieces rolled off, then larger chunks fell off. From cracking chunks, the crystal deterioration increased until it melted off like water, yet it wasn’t wet. People in the room backed off. The assault squad had weapons drawn and aimed.
Finally the final bit of crystalline substance, literally, evaporated. Not a single piece of crystal remained.
“Jesus, Mary and Joseph, what the fuck is this!?”
A man lay on a small cot. He was moving. The man sat up rubbing sleepily at his eyes. His hair was midnight black and cut short. The man’s eyes were red rimmed with lack of sleep. He was wearing old Earth Power Ranger pajamas. A floppy sleeping hat with a fuzzy white ball lay askew on his head. A brown ugly looking stuffed rabbit, with a pirate eye-patch, squeaked with the man’s movements. His feet were encased in bright neon pink bunny sleepers.
It was the single most ridiculous and improbable moment of their lives.
“CANT YOU BASTARDS READ!?” The man fumed. “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO FINALLY DREAM? I WAS EATING DORITOS. YOU CAN’T HAVE ONLY ONE!”
“Sir, I’m doctor Popolopolis. We just found you in a wreck, in the middle of an asteroid belt.”
“There IS no asteroid belt. Crap. Crap. CRAP! Is going to take decades to gather enough crystal to sleep again. Where the hell is it … where IS it? AH!” The man came up with a black and red hockey mask. He affixed it to his face.
The man had obviously lost his faculties.
“Sergeant Boris, take the man into custody,” the captain ordered.” This is too bizarre and he seems belligerent.”
“Yes sir.”
It was the 2nd worst order in Dovorsky’s career.
“Sir, you will have to come with us.”
The man pointed with the plush rabbit, he squeezed it. It squeaked loudly. The sound was punctuated by the words, “Get the fuck off my ship or Snookums will kick your ass.” Squeaky … squeaky! "I mean it, don't fuck with the rabbit.”
“Ok that’s it,” Boris motioned to his men, “Help me grab this idiot.”
The stuffed rabbit exploded as the hidden sonic weapon inside it took Boris' head off. Cries of alarm suddenly cut off.
The Dog Star lost the link.
“Get that communications link back!” He ordered his communication’s officer. “Inform all the other squads in that ship to converge at that point.”
The communications officer pressed buttons and looked grim, “Sir we’re being jammed.”
“Source?”
“I… sir I … I can’t tell. It’s coming from everywhere.”
Dovorsky was about to reply but his sensor officer butted in, “Energy signature. Two… four… Shalun preserve us… thirty …. Two hundred….”
The temperature on the bridge seemed to drop 10 degrees in 10 seconds. There was no asteroid belt.
The dormant Narvidian ships lit up as the dead debris suddenly came alive. The most terrifying aspect of it all were the asteroids. Their rocky surfaces wavered and flowed and cracked and changed. Metallic hulls were revealed.
“….three hundred fifty thousand …. Five hundred thousand … captain!”
“Sound general quarters. All available energy to engines! Charge the FTL drive NOW! Everyone into full environmental suits. Pilot, get us the FUCK out of here. Guns take that big bastard in front of us. Open a hole!”
The Dog Star opened up with every cannon at its disposal. It wasn’t enough. It was far from enough.
No one should wake up the Mad Rabbit. Snookums doesn't like it.
|
|
