Futuristic The Titan

[Siren77]

“Yeah, yeah I’m good. Sorry my mind was taken away for a moment, simply lost in thought. Nothing more.” This time he brought forth a much more convincing smile.

His grin only grew after he looked up and saw Al blink awake, followed by his brief moment of vulgarity.

“My friend you’re awake! Dear lord man, you’ve kept me up worried all night!” Ezro rose and stood next to Alice. “How do you feel? Any significant pain?”
animegirl20 GolemGuy

 

[AnonyMouse]

After a quick shower, Sil dressed and prepared to head to the kitchen. She momentarily considered which swimsuit to wear, since they were heading to a planet of sandy beaches. Even though she owned a lot of swimwear, Sil couldn't actually swim in most of it. A Tymari's body will adapt to water if submerged for more than a few minutes. Her legs would fuse into a fishtail, which severely limited what she could wear on her lower half.

After about fifteen minutes, Sil emerged from her room wearing sandals, a black bikini top, and a loose skirt, but added a white robe over it all, because the beach was still a long way away and she had an eerie feeling that a certain helmsman had a wandering eye. She felt a little bad about teasing him earlier. He seemed to have something on his mind when he came to see her. She didn't think their little argument the previous day could have kept him up all night. Obviously, something else had gotten to him and he was probably trying to reach out to a crewmate. Well, she managed to screw that up.

But why me? Sil thought as she headed to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. He should talk to Ezro; they have more in common. Or Everett, if he needs a woman's touch. They're both ITF defectors, like him. And they're human. I'm sure he would rather be with his own kind than talk to a 'fish girl.' On second thought, maybe I should stay on the ship when we reach Malalikia. I can use that time to study up on this Sauphira bullshit, instead of splashing around for their amusement like a fucking aquarium attraction.

Sil poured herself a cup of coffee --black, of course-- and took a seat at one of the tables in the mess hall. Against her better judgment, she had brought the datapod with Maxxon's intel. She should have left it in her room, out of sight, out of mind, but she couldn't resist. Sil sipped at her coffee while she read through the agent's reports. She briefly looked up when she heard footsteps in the hall and saw a shirtless Jacen jog by. Sil thought nothing of it and returned her attention to her datapod until she heard steps again a minute or so later. She ignored it a second time, too. It wasn't until the fifth lap or so that she finally became annoyed.

"We have a treadmill, you know," she said, timing her words as he neared the open door to the mess hall.

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

Jacen stopped. He breathed heavily before looking at her. "I know." He gave her a small smile. "It's more exciting jogging around than in place." He said as he walked a few steps towards her. He did his best not to look at her outfit. "I couldn't sleep. I figured I might as well try to wear myself out." He said leaving it at that as he walked over to the coffee machine and poured himself a cup

AnonyMouse

 

[AnonyMouse]

"Right," Sil said, taking another sip of her coffee as she swiped to another page on her datapod. "What better way to wear one's self out than to drink coffee?" She appeared to be reading and pretended to be completely disinterested in him, but continued to speak. "You are almost as bad a double agent as I was. But at least I was a good liar."

She finally glanced up at him over the edge of her datapod, just as he took the first taste of his coffee. "Are you going to sit down and tell me why you are behaving like an imbecile," she said, with a nod to the seat across from her, "or am I going to have to interrogate you? The truth serum I put in the coffee should be kicking in soon enough."

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

"Hey now." He said. "Coffee has an opposite effect on me." He said before sitting down beside her. "I don't want to go to sleep." He said. "Every time I do I see images of the people I killed. The planets I helped ruin including my homeworld." He let out a breath. He didn't know why he trusted this fish but he did. "Have you ever heard of the Alphas before?"

AnonyMouse

 

[AnonyMouse]

"Of course," Sil said, finally laying her datapod face down on the table. "When I was with the ITF, everyone looked up to them or feared them. The Alphas were given the best training, the best weapons and gear. The 'best missions.'" She said the last part with air quotes and a slight scowl on her face. "Those fools didn't realize they were idolizing the same bastards who secretly destabilized their homeworlds and assassinated their leaders. Those awesome covert ops they liked so much shaped the world into the hell hole it is now."

She took a sip of her coffee. "I hope you aren't about to tell me you were an Alpha, Jacen."

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

Jacen looked at her. He turned to reveal his right shoulder. The Alpha symbol was shown. "Does that awnser your question." He said. "I was one of those young fools who idolized them." He said. His voice changed from gruff sounding to that of a Nimerian accent. "The best weapons and gear. That all black armor that keeps they're faces hidden. I thought I hit the jackpot when I qualified for them." He looked over at her and smiled then frowned. "It wasn't until my first mission that I realized something was wrong. Over the next couple of years I couldn't even recognize the person in the mirror." He said
AnonyMouse

 

[AnonyMouse]

"The person in the mirror is you," Sil replied solemnly. "Where I come from, that is something we are taught early on. You would think identity crises would be common among a race of shapeshifters, but no. There is only one you, no matter how you look or sound or what terrible things you do. You have blood on your hands, Jacen. You can never wash it off. It would be disrespectful to the fallen if you could. But at least you are conscious of its weight."

Even though her words sounded harsh, her tone was calm and soothing. Sil looked into his eyes as she said, "We are both killers, Jacen. I hate the ITF enough that I was willing to become one of them, so I could learn the skills necessary to destroy them. And I haven't lost a moment of sleep for it. If anything, I am more bothered by the people I should have killed by now, who are still drawing breath. Death is a currency. Freedom has a price."

Sil suddenly became very quiet, as she realized she had just quoted Sauphira. The woman's words were etched into her brain like a stain on her soul. 'Death is a currency and freedom has a price.' She could still picture Sauphira's face, backlit by the flames of a burning ITF medical ship as she said those words when Sil questioned the blood trail that had led up to that particular massacre.

She slowly shook her head to clear that image. Sauphira was lightyears away. Jacen was right beside her. And she intended to keep it that way.

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

He looked at Sil and nodded. "You're right." He said. He smiled at her. Genuinely smiled not like he usually does. "Thanks for the pep talk." He said. He knew she was correct. "By the way you look amazing in that outfit." He said trying to change the subject.

AnonyMouse

 

[AnonyMouse]

"Yeah, thanks," Sil said absentmindedly. "I hope I don't die in it."

She took another swig of her coffee before moving it aside and meeting his gaze once more, this time with a far more serious expression. She lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in close. "Aren't there less than ten Alphas in the entire system? Seven? Eight? i can't remember." She waved her hand vaguely. "I'm sure you all were close. I bet these people knew what your shit looked like before the toilet did." She paused for emphasis. "You killed them all before you left... right?"

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

"Seven." He said. "Yeah we we were a close knit group." He let out a breath then shook his head. "No, I made a run for it. Plus most of them are a lot stronger than me. I would've been slaughtered" He said. He then motioned his face. "It costed me a small fortune to change this." He said.
He thought for a second. "If you don't mind can we switch subjects."

 

[GolemGuy]

Alejandras took a moment to collect himself, before answering Ezro and Alice. "Ezro, mentally or physically?" Alejandras attempted to joke, but his eyes betrayed his quip, staring in a traumatized gaze. He quickly snapped back.

"Nothing really hurts, except my ribs. And my head. And my back. You know what, I think everything hurts."

Siren77 animegirl20

 

[AnonyMouse]

"Right. Sorry," Sil said. "I suppose killing your friends would be a touchy subject." But, in a lower voice, she added, "I hope they feel the same way."

She got quiet after that, flipped over her datapod, and shut it off. It had been lying face down on the table ever since Jacen took a seat. Now she wasn't sure what to talk about. The weather? politics? Religion? Admittedly, she was bad at small talk. She could fake it, when she was pretending to be someone else, but she didn't want to do that now.

Maybe I should compliment his outfit, since he complimented mine? Sil thought. She looked at him, shirtless and sweaty, and frowned. On second thought... no. Definitely not.

"By the way, I was kidding about the truth serum," she said as she stood up and closed her bath robe, tightening the sash around her waist. "Or I lied. Interpret that however you like. I wonder if Al is doing okay?"

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

"We weren't friends. Not really anyway." He said as he leaned back. "Just don't want to relive the past." He looked at her and smiled. "Figured this coffee wasn't tampered with." He let out a breath. "Al's strong he'll pull threw. Hopefully."
He thought of something to say. He usually hated small talk, but he didn't mind talking to her for some odd reason"So mermaid tell me about your planet. I don't hear much these days." He was trying to keep the conversation going.

AnonyMouse

 

[Bard Bard]

"Thank you; likewise." Kal continued down the corridor, hobbling. She intended to go to her office, but first she had somewhere else to be. She made her way to the infirmary, the tapping of her cane announcing her entry, but otherwise silently. "Captain, First Mate." She nodded to Ezro and Alice in turn, then looked to Al, awake yet unmoved. She offered him a smile. "Alejandras, you have returned."


Siren77 animegirl20 GolemGuy

 

[Siren77]

“Well with you my friend, it had better be a question of both! I mean what the fuck were you thinking!? Blowing yourself up like that!, it’s your own fault that everything hurts!” Ezro shook his head and lightly tapped the top of Al’s head with his fingers in a mock slap. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you actually want to die!”

“Oh, hello Ms. Rezd. How are you feeling, well I hope?” He offered her a kind smile.
animegirl20 Bard Bard GolemGuy

 

[Bard Bard]

Kal tipped her head to Ezro. "I am, thank you. Feeling well yourself, Ezro?"


Siren77

 

[Siren77]

“Oh yknow, I’ve felt like having a heart attack all night thanks to this dumbass.” He gestured to Alejandras “But other than that I’ve been just peachy! Are you looking for Everette? I haven’t seen her since she finished up working on Al.”
Bard Bard GolemGuy

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sil was about to head to the kitchen and start preparing for breakfast, but Jacen's question made her stop. He was being awfully chatty today. And, unlike the questions she had asked, he wasn't directly asking about her. She had been interrogating him, while he seemed to just be looking for news. Or maybe he was a little shy and didn't want to probe into her past or personal life.

I suppose he is more interested in looking at me than learning about who I am, she thought as she sat back down. She still had half a cup of coffee left, so she could spare a little more time for him before breakfast.

"That is because there isn't much to hear," she said, cradling the mug of black gold between her palms. "The ITF won. They control Tymar now. The Tymari Defense Force --our military-- is a joke and has pretty much been completely absorbed into the ITF. Our government has been whittled down by assassinations and infighting and is little more than a puppet show. From the public's perspective, it was a bloodless takeover. Now there is no one to defend us and no one to speak for us, therefore nothing to hear."

She became increasingly bitter as she recounted this very abridged version of Tymar's recent history. What she didn't mention was that two of those assassinations had been her parents. Her fingertips drummed on the mug and, after a long pause, she continued:

"Actually, that is not entirely true," she said. "There is a growing movement. A lot of people are fed up with the way things are and want to return to the old ways. Technologically, my people are very advanced, but our society would probably be considered... ummm... primitive, by your standards. The ITF is shifting us toward democracy, but Tymar was traditionally an oligarchy, ruled by royal families. Thousands of years ago, there were seven tribes, who ruled the planet's seven seas, until they were united under the warlord Tymar IV, after whom the planet is named. Over time, the various families were absorbed into one another or fell out of favor, until that number was reduced to three royal houses: Tymar, Illumar... and Silmar."

She shrugged, nonchalantly. "No, the name is not a coincidence. The real reason I am here is because I would have been assassinated by now if I had stayed. Best way to keep your head is to keep your head down." She took a sip of her coffee. "You and Ezro are the only ones who know this. Speak a word of it to anyone and I will feed your genitals to you. Same if you ever think of calling me 'Princess' or 'Her Majesty' or anything of the sort."

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

He absorbed the information. He looked at her with a serious glance. "You have my word that I'll help restore Tymar." He said. He finished his coffee. "So mermaid what do you like to do in what spare time we have?" He asked.

He let out a breath. "I want to get to know you Sil or whatever your first name is, because you intrest me." He said being blunt about it.

 

[GolemGuy]

Alejandras writhed on the medical table. "Hey Ezro, when do you suppose I can get out of the infirmary?" While Al spoke, he, while subtley, refused to make eye contact with the Captain. "I'm gonna need to draw up some blueprints for the replacement forearm." Again, Alejandras refused the maintain eye contact.

Siren77

 

[AnonyMouse]

Sil rolled her eyes. "In my spare time, I like to not have crewmates hit on me. While I appreciate your straightforwardness, you have barely been here a week, Corr. Slow down," she said bluntly. "How about you wait a while and see if the novelty wears off, then we will talk. And I do hope you find a shirt by then."

That was harsh, even for her. Sil collected her coffee and datapod and stood up. "I'm sorry, but I really should get breakfast started."

Jagson

 

[Jagson]

Jacen just smiled. "Worth a shot." He said he put the cup down. "Take care princess." He said before walking out of the mess hall. He let out a breath before starting his jog again.

 

[Bard Bard]

“Oh yknow, I’ve felt like having a heart attack all night thanks to this dumbass.” He gestured to Alejandras “But other than that I’ve been just peachy! Are you looking for Everette? I haven’t seen her since she finished up working on Al.”
Bard Bard GolemGuy

Kal cocked an eyebrow. "Suppose she overslept? But no, I haven't; I came to check up on Al." She turned to Alejandras. "I know the answer will be 'utter shit', but nevertheless I will ask: how are you feeling?"


Siren77 GolemGuy

 

[GolemGuy]

Alejandras diverted his attention from Ezro to Kal. "Well, I'm just splendid. Besides my lack of a forearm. And broken ribs. And the giant third-degree burn on my back. But aside from that, well, I'm just splendid." There was a definite hint of teasing sarcasm in his voice. "But I suppose I wasn't the only one of the crew to acquire injury." He motioned to Kal's broken leg with his right hand. "Who would've guessed, Al and Kal both got injured from explosions." Alejandras' voice trailed off into a dim chortle. "I just need to get out of these damned tubes so I can fix my damned arm."

Bard Bard