Futuristic The Adventures of the Inquisitor

[Ian Temero]

"Hindsight... is... 20/20. I... guess... I... didn't... think much. But... he wasn't pointing... a gun... at your head... when I came in. And... if... it was... a hostage situation... why... would... you be... preventing him from leaving?"

"Because I had him engaged! He hadn't left because I was talking to him!" What was with people and thinking that the only way to stop someone was to physically restrain them? "And no, it wasn't a hostage situation at the time," Zephyr admitted, "But it very easily could have been one, that's important part."


"

"What happened?" the man barked, hurrying over to Aya's side and staring Zeph in the eye. "Where's the guy? Which way did he head? ... Zeph, what happened to Aya?

"I don't know. It all happened a little too fast for me." Zeph answered, shrugging his shoulders. "You'll have to ask Aya. As for the kid, I didn't notice which way he went. I was a little more focused on the injured crew member at my feet. As Zeph thought about it he realized that, throughout this entire series of question, he had yet to tell a single lie. We'll see how long this last. Probably not very..

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

"I don't know. It all happened a little too fast for me," Zeph replied, accompanied by a shrug. "You'll have to ask Aya. As for the kid, I didn't notice which way he went. I was a little more focused on the injured crew member at my feet." James wasn't impressed, but he nodded nonetheless.


"At least she seems okay, for now." the captain said, giving the cook the once-over. "How're you feeling, Aya? You need to go to surgery or anything?" Okay, James admitted: he kind of sucked at being sympathetic. In fact, he probably seemed like he was being insensitive instead. But he hoped his attempt at a joke would do something to cheer her up. Considering the circumstances. "Did you see which way the guy went?" Hopefully asking the girl too many questions wouldn't make anything worse, because he really needed to know.


He turned back to Zeph, "What did he look like? Tell me you got that much. Short? Tall? Young? Old?" Maybe the seraph wasn't totally unhelpful at figuring out something about the guy. Maybe it was even a girl. He didn't know.


~~~


The kid hurried down the hallway, hoping to find his belongings. It looked like everything was back to normal (aside from the whole being-chased-by-strangers-because-he'd-stowed-away-on-his-own-darn-ship thing), and after glancing around to make sure he was alone, he opened one of the secret passages his brother had shown to him when he was younger.


After scrambling inside, the boy refastened the small entrance, and it was like he'd never even been there. Hopefully he could get back to his stuff before someone else caught wind of his plans. He began to crawl on his hands and knees through the small passageway, and he was glad he wasn't an adult. This would have been like the vents, but smaller, if he'd been bigger. And he didn't particularly like the vents in the first place.


After a few minutes of retracing his footsteps, the kid saw his stash up ahead and nearly breathed a sigh of relief. He quickened his pace and got to them in a moment, digging into his duffle bag eagerly. His plight revealed his holotab, that of which he grinned at involuntarily.


The boy made sure to go over his plan: Turning off the power. He froze, the realization kicking in. No way could he do that, he realized. The boy facepalmed, mentally scolding himself. Only his brother would think of something stupid like that, he thought, but in a more teasing manner. If he turned off the power, the oxygen would be shut off too, and that served no purpose at all, especially since this crew had oxygen masks (most likely) and he did not.


He pondered for a moment. He could always override the AI system, but that might be too risky. He could be caught whilst hacking, and then his holotab could be infected with a virus, or there was always the ever-present threat of a firewall, which could take too long. The boy frowned. Why hadn't he thought this plan out more clearly earlier? In his defense, he had been trying to act fast, and his plan had seemed a good one at the time. His brother would have pointed out it was stupid, though, if he'd been here.


The boy stared at his holotab, boring holes into it mentally, before a small thought tickled the back of his mind. He could always keep someone hostage. He shook his head quickly, banishing the thought as quickly as it had come. No way! First, that was just wrong; he wasn't a bad kid and he didn't want to be one (well, any more than h already was), and second, it was too risky. With his brother around, maybe it could have worked, but now...? No way.


He sighed and tried to think of something else he could do, quickly, before they found him, but boy was it hard without anyone here. Usually, his brother was there (always, his brother was there), or maybe his dad, but now he was alone. And boy, did he feel like it.


~~~


(( Sorry for being so absent, guys! Been really busy with stuff but I should be back to normal now! @Raggamuffinz @MrMopp ))

 

[MrMopp]

Yahlies ears perked up. "Ok! Thank you!." Good to see that she wasn't in trouble after all. Yahlie took the cup, sat down, picked up the pad that Rassa was using, and proceeded to play on it while she waited for her drink to cool.


...


Fortunately, by the time her coffee had cooled, she hadn't the time to slurp it up before Laiya, followed closely by Rassa (huh, didn't even notice he left), ran into the room. Something was WAY off about the woman. When she had left she was relatively collected, but she had come back looking like she was running from a nightmare, with her hair and clothing a mess, a wild "They're coming for me!!!!" look in her eyes and the stench- aside from the literal one- of jumbled fear surrounding her.


<Umm, Raaassaaa,> said Yahlie as the crazed woman frantically tapped away at the magic buttons. <Whaaat happened???>


Rassa stared at the deranged human warily. <...I have... NO idea, but that woman is clearly possessed. Do you suppose there is a healer here? She need an exorcism.>


Then both of their ears and eye brows (and heart rates) shot up as Laiya began gagging, and shuttering and dropped to the ground. <Yeeeeaaah.> said Yahlie . <DEFINITELY want to grab a healer.> Yahlie ran over to the human. "Hey!" Yahlie shook her. "You okay!?"


Rassa quickly turned Alyssa. "Doc-ter!?" He asked with urgency. "We have Doc-ter!?" That is what the humans call their healers, yes?

 

[ActionPony]

Yahlies ears perked up. "Ok! Thank you!." Good to see that she wasn't in trouble after all. Yahlie took the cup, sat down, picked up the pad that Rassa was using, and proceeded to play on it while she waited for her drink to cool.
...


Fortunately, by the time her coffee had cooled, she hadn't the time to slurp it up before Laiya, followed closely by Rassa (huh, didn't even notice he left), ran into the room. Something was WAY off about the woman. When she had left she was relatively collected, but she had come back looking like she was running from a nightmare, with her hair and clothing a mess, a wild "They're coming for me!!!!" look in her eyes and the stench- aside from the literal one- of jumbled fear surrounding her.


<Umm, Raaassaaa,> said Yahlie as the crazed woman frantically tapped away at the magic buttons. <Whaaat happened???>


Rassa stared at the deranged human warily. <...I have... NO idea, but that woman is clearly possessed. Do you suppose there is a healer here? She need an exorcism.>


Then both of their ears and eye brows (and heart rates) shot up as Laiya began gagging, and before Yahlie knew what she was doing, she found herself leaping from her seat and grabbing the human under the arms as she fainted. <HOOF! Yes!> Yahlie grunted. <We DEFINITELY need a healer.> Unable to hold her weight for long, she let the human slump to the ground and crouched next to her. "Hey! Wake up!" Yahlie shook her. "You okay!?"


Rassa quickly turned Alyssa. "Doc-ter!?" He asked with urgency. "We have Doc-ter!?" That is what the humans call their healers, yes?


(I assume she fainted, anyway )

[Actually, I think she'd just flail around in terror. Yahlie and Rassa are scary when they jump you unexpectedly.]

 

[ActionPony]

Yahlies ears perked up. "Ok! Thank you!." Good to see that she wasn't in trouble after all. Yahlie took the cup, sat down, picked up the pad that Rassa was using, and proceeded to play on it while she waited for her drink to cool.
...


Fortunately, by the time her coffee had cooled, she hadn't the time to slurp it up before Laiya, followed closely by Rassa (huh, didn't even notice he left), ran into the room. Something was WAY off about the woman. When she had left she was relatively collected, but she had come back looking like she was running from a nightmare, with her hair and clothing a mess, a wild "They're coming for me!!!!" look in her eyes and the stench- aside from the literal one- of jumbled fear surrounding her.


<Umm, Raaassaaa,> said Yahlie as the crazed woman frantically tapped away at the magic buttons. <Whaaat happened???>


Rassa stared at the deranged human warily. <...I have... NO idea, but that woman is clearly possessed. Do you suppose there is a healer here? She need an exorcism.>


Then both of their ears and eye brows (and heart rates) shot up as Laiya began gagging, and shuttering and dropped to the ground. <Yeeeeaaah.> said Yahlie . <DEFINITELY want to grab a healer.> Yahlie ran over to the human. "Hey!" Yahlie shook her. "You okay!?"


Rassa quickly turned Alyssa. "Doc-ter!?" He asked with urgency. "We have Doc-ter!?" That is what the humans call their healers, yes?


(I assume she fainted, anyway )

[You forgot the "(I assume she fainted, anyway)" at the end.]


Laiya was caught completely by surprise by Yahlie. She yelped in surprise and thrashed to get out of her grip, but, to tell the truth, Yahlie, like a well-aimed bucket of ice water, was just what Laiya needed, except with much less soaked clothes. Laiya was able to get ahold of herself for the moment and focus on the problem at hand.


Namely, the question of a doctor.


She told whoever was listening: "We were going to pick up the ship's doctor at Evangelion Station. We're nearby, and will be in position to initiate docking soon."

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

(( @Ian Temero ))

 

[Ian Temero]

Zephyr began to discribe the kid for the captain. "He seemed to be in his early teens, so yeah, shorter than any of us. He also had slightly wavy hair. All in all, the kind of kid that older women absolutely adore."

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

"He seemed to be in his early teens, so yeah, shorter than any of us." Zeph began, and James mentally noted it was a boy, and it was a kid. He mentally shuddered when he thought about Laiya's depressurizing the vents, but at least the boy seemed to have made it out mostly unharmed. "He also had slightly wavy hair. All in all, the kind of kid that older women absolutely adore." The captain couldn't help but scoff at that; it was almost too true.


"Okay, so we got a young, adolescent male somewhere on the ship. If he's like any kids I've seen, he can't have gotten too far from the engine room by now. Have you seen Laiya? I sent her down there to find you, and she hasn't called back yet." Without waiting for a reply, James activated his comm. "Laiya? Where are you? Are you okay?"


James turned back to look at Zeph, mouthing his words so the other end of his transmission wouldn't hear, "Which way did he go?"

 

[ActionPony]

"He seemed to be in his early teens, so yeah, shorter than any of us." Zeph began, and James mentally noted it was a boy, and it was a kid. He mentally shuddered when he thought about Laiya's depressurizing the vents, but at least the boy seemed to have made it out mostly unharmed. "He also had slightly wavy hair. All in all, the kind of kid that older women absolutely adore." The captain couldn't help but scoff at that; it was almost too true.
"Okay, so we got a young, adolescent male somewhere on the ship. If he's like any kids I've seen, he can't have gotten too far from the engine room by now. Have you seen Laiya? I sent her down there to find you, and she hasn't called back yet." Without waiting for a reply, James activated his comm. "Laiya? Where are you? Are you okay?"


James turned back to look at Zeph, mouthing his words so the other end of his transmission wouldn't hear, "Which way did he go?"

Laiya gave a start of surprise when her comm went live, and the captain's voice crackled across: "Laiya? Where are you? Are you okay?"


Laiya, her voice rather shaky, responded: "I'm at the bridge."


She didn't say whether or not she was okay. She wasn't sure of it herself. Anyone looking at her wouldn't be sure either: She looked a wreck. She needed a good calming-down.

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

"I'm at the bridge." came the voice of Laiya from James' comm. Whether her voice was shaking, or just the comm frequency being fuzzy, the man couldn't tell for sure.


"What are you doing there?" he asked quickly, a little more harshly than he had intended. "Didn't I tell you to head to the engine room?" He shook his head, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, irritated. "Look. The stowaway is a kid; a boy. Zeph said he's probably in his early teens. He escaped, but he's probably hiding somewhere not too far from the engine room. See if you can track him down, and I'll check it out. Where's Rassa? I might need his help on sniffing the kid out. Also, see if Alyssa can get us to Evangelion Station any faster; Aya's in need of our medic."


(( @MrMopp @Raggamuffinz ))

 

[ActionPony]

"I'm at the bridge." came the voice of Laiya from James' comm. Whether her voice was shaking, or just the comm frequency being fuzzy, the man couldn't tell for sure.
"What are you doing there?" he asked quickly, a little more harshly than he had intended. "Didn't I tell you to head to the engine room?" He shook his head, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, irritated. "Look. The stowaway is a kid; a boy. Zeph said he's probably in his early teens. He escaped, but he's probably hiding somewhere not too far from the engine room. See if you can track him down, and I'll check it out. Where's Rassa? I might need his help on sniffing the kid out. Also, see if Alyssa can get us to Evangelion Station any faster; Aya's in need of our medic."


(( @MrMopp @Raggamuffinz ))

Laiya responded: "I was having trouble with the route. I decided to come back here and clear up the barriers. Rassa's with me. I can ask him to go look for the kid."


She paused a moment to collect her thoughts. The stowaway was a kid? Laiya's mental image of him shattered, just a bit, and left her feeling far calmer than she was before, if a little embarrassed and horrified with herself. That would not happen again. It mustn't. She was the navigator for the Inquisitor. She couldn't afford to break down. She couldn't be a loose cannon. Then, she'd be letting everyone down.


"Well, you can't let them down if the stowaway gets there first..."


a voice in the back of her head told her. Laiya tried to ignore it, but it still stung. She focused back on her work, but before she could get far, she remembered something she had to do.


She told the captain over the comm: "I'm sorry about what I did depressurizing the vents. I just meant to flush him out."

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

"I was having trouble with the route; I decided to come back here and clear up the barriers. Rassa's with me; I can ask him to go look for the kid," Laiya crackled through the comm speakers, and James nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him.


"Okay, sounds good. We're coming towards the bridge now, so we shouldn't be too hard to find, especially if he's as good a hunter as he says he is. I'll let him sniff the kid out, and then I'll follow and apprehend them. Since he's small, I kind of don't want Rassa pouncing on him or anything. No offense," he added quickly in case the alien could hear.


"I'm sorry about what I did depressurizing the vents. I just meant to flush him out." came Laiya's voice again, surprising the captain. He let a slight smile escape and shook his head thoughtfully.


"It's fine," he reassured her, "According to Zeph he seems to be in perfect condition, so I don't think you caused him any damage. I think your plan worked, though. He is out of the vents." He hoped a soft (possible) jab at humor would lighten her mood.

 

[ActionPony]

"I was having trouble with the route; I decided to come back here and clear up the barriers. Rassa's with me; I can ask him to go look for the kid," Laiya crackled through the comm speakers, and James nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him.
"Okay, sounds good. We're coming towards the bridge now, so we shouldn't be too hard to find, especially if he's as good a hunter as he says he is. I'll let him sniff the kid out, and then I'll follow and apprehend them. Since he's small, I kind of don't want Rassa pouncing on him or anything. No offense," he added quickly in case the alien could hear.


"I'm sorry about what I did depressurizing the vents. I just meant to flush him out." came Laiya's voice again, surprising the captain. He let a slight smile escape and shook his head thoughtfully.


"It's fine," he reassured her, "According to Zeph he seems to be in perfect condition, so I don't think you caused him any damage. I think your plan worked, though. He is out of the vents." He hoped a soft (possible) jab at humor would lighten her mood.

"Oh."


That was all Laiya had to say about that. Afterwards, there was:


"So, I take Rassa and go to the engine room, right? Are you sure he's still there?"


What reason would he have to stay, after all? A mental image formed of the shadowy imp teasing and lauging at her, but she quickly pushed it away. She mustn't go there. Not again.


@xXxKateKaysxXx

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

"Oh." came Laiya's voice, small and simple. James mentally cringed. He hoped he hadn't made it worse for her. "So," the navigator said after a moment, "I take Rassa and go to the engine room, right? Are you sure he's still there?"


James shook his head, even though he knew she couldn't see, "No, just send Rassa." He paused. "...Unless you just really want to come, that is, but I think you'd be better at the bridge with Alyssa and Yahlie. We still need to pick up our medic, especially with Aya's current condition, remember? And I know for a fact he's not still there, but I'm hoping maybe our alien friend can sniff out wherever he went from there."


~~~


The boy frowned. He had absolutely no idea what to do next. He figured he'd have to move soon, though, since they were obviously looking for him. He wondered where that alien creature (Blink, was it?) and his winged counterpart (Zeph or something... he forgot now) had gone off to. Shifting his position, the boy gathered up his belongings and began crawling his way back through the secret tunnels.


At this point, his best option was to somehow get into the control room and override the systems, so that's where he was headed next. But it was pretty risky. He took a deep breath and let it out again, trying to stay focused. He could do this. He squeezed the handle of his gun a little tighter, imagining it was his brother's hand, comforting him.

 

[ActionPony]

"Oh." came Laiya's voice, small and simple. James mentally cringed. He hoped he hadn't made it worse for her. "So," the navigator said after a moment, "I take Rassa and go to the engine room, right? Are you sure he's still there?"
James shook his head, even though he knew she couldn't see, "No, just send Rassa." He paused. "...Unless you just really want to come, that is, but I think you'd be better at the bridge with Alyssa and Yahlie. We still need to pick up our medic, especially with Aya's current condition, remember? And I know for a fact he's not still there, but I'm hoping maybe our alien friend can sniff out wherever he went from there."


~~~


The boy frowned. He had absolutely no idea what to do next. He figured he'd have to move soon, though, since they were obviously looking for him. He wondered where that alien creature (Blink, was it?) and his winged counterpart (Zeph or something... he forgot now) had gone off to. Shifting his position, the boy gathered up his belongings and began crawling his way back through the secret tunnels.


At this point, his best option was to somehow get into the control room and override the systems, so that's where he was headed next. But it was pretty risky. He took a deep breath and let it out again, trying to stay focused. He could do this. He squeezed the handle of his gun a little tighter, imagining it was his brother's hand, comforting him.

[Just a question... Is the control room different from the bridge, or not? Laiya might have a good idea about the layout of the ship, but I don't.]

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

(( @ActionPony Lol it's a little bit different... it's more like the guns and stuff... it's very close to the bridge though! ))

 

[ActionPony]

(( @ActionPony Lol it's a little bit different... it's more like the guns and stuff... it's very close to the bridge though! ))

[so, exactly what is the control room for?]

 

[xXxKateKaysxXx]

(( @ActionPony Well, mainly for setting preferences, such as oxygen levels, gravity, power, and like I said, the guns ))

 

[MrMopp]

Laiya responded: "I was having trouble with the route. I decided to come back here and clear up the barriers. Rassa's with me. I can ask him to go look for the kid."

Rassa had been listening to the conversation. A kid? THATS what all this fuss was about? Rassa snickered quietly.

Okay, sounds good. We're coming towards the bridge now, so we shouldn't be too hard to find, especially if he's as good a hunter as he says he is. I'll let him sniff the kid out, and then I'll follow and apprehend them. Since he's small, I kind of don't want Rassa pouncing on him or anything. No offense,"

Darn. That takes the fun out a hunt.

"I'm sorry about what I did depressurizing the vents. I just meant to flush him out." came Laiya's voice again, surprising the captain. He let a slight smile escape and shook his head thoughtfully.
"It's fine," he reassured her, "According to Zeph he seems to be in perfect condition, so I don't think you caused him any damage. I think your plan worked, though. He is out of the vents." He hoped a soft (possible) jab at humor would lighten her mood.

Rassa wasn't entirely sure what they taking about and frankly didn't care.

"Oh." came Laiya's voice, small and simple. James mentally cringed. He hoped he hadn't made it worse for her. "So," the navigator said after a moment, "I take Rassa and go to the engine room, right? Are you sure he's still there?"

Rassa groaned slightly at the the thought of another confusing trip with the insane lady. But then again, he should be used to that by now.

James shook his head, even though he knew she couldn't see, "No, just send Rassa."

Whew!

"...Unless you just really want to come, that is, but I think you'd be better at the bridge with Alyssa and Yahlie.

Yes! Please! Keep the crazy ones quarantined!

We still need to pick up our medic, especially with Aya's current condition, remember? And I know for a fact he's not still there, but I'm hoping maybe our alien friend can sniff out wherever he went from there."

Great! Let's get started! It had been a while since Rassa had gone on a proper hunt. Doing it indoors was going to be a challenge, though.


Rassa tapped Laiya on the shoulder. "Where is... Um... Enjin room?"

 

[ActionPony]

Rassa had been listening to the conversation. A kid? THATS what all this fuss was about? Rassa snickered quietly.
Darn. That takes the fun out a hunt.


Rassa wasn't entirely sure what they taking about and frankly didn't care.


Rassa groaned slightly at the the thought of another confusing trip with the insane lady. But then again, he should be used to that by now.


Whew!


Yes! Please! Keep the crazy ones quarantined!


Great! Let's get started! It had been a while since Rassa had gone on a proper hunt. Doing it indoors was going to be a challenge, though.


Rassa tapped Laiya on the shoulder. "Where is... Um... Enjin room?"

@Raggamuffinz


Laiya looked up and rattled off a string of directions, given smoothly, quickly, and only once before Laiya returned to her work of communicating to Evangelion Station, hoping to ready them for docking and alert the doctor that the Inquisitor would be there soon. Dockings were complicated work, and both she and the pilot were needed to completely focus on that.

 

[MrMopp]

Rassa thanked Laiya and made his way down to the engine room.


...


Running down the hall, Rassa met the captain and Zeph walking the wounded Aya to the bridge. He stopped and looked at the injured woman with one eyebrow raised in an expression halfway between concern and incredulousness. "Child do this??" He asked, pointing at Aya.


(Note: he left his spear at the back of the ship when he had to carry Yahlie inside.)


 
(In case it was confusing, he meant , "A child did this??")