Take to the Stars

[NicTei]

I start too many stories, I know.  I just kept getting ideas for this one, and before I knew it, it became one of those ideas that buzzes around in your head like a seriously torked hornet.  At any rate, here we are.  I'll be getting a prologue and first chapter up shortly.

Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1:  Ter'ra 7 [Part 1 of 2]
Chapter 1:  Ter'ra 7 [Part 2 of 2]
Chapter 2:  Hazard [Part 1 of 2]
Chapter 2:  Hazard [Part 2 of 2]

[Chinaren]

NicTei spotted a haunted house!

Another. 

[NicTei]

If you'd like, I could change my vote from #1 to #3... it was a close second pick for me...

If it hasn't been resolved by Monday, I'll switch it.  Thanks! 

[NicTei]

It occurs to me I said I'd do the next part of this today; Tbird, I'm switching your vote as you said I could, so we're going with 'still living survivor being eaten/attacked by a Scavenger.

I might be able to get it done tonight; if not, I can do it tomorrow.  Unless the world ends.  In which case it really won't matter.

[Chinaren]

In this case you could merge the two you know.  Maybe the scavenger is the alien? 

[Panda-Brain]

Actually, i quite like China's idea.

[Chinaren]

Actually, i quite like China's idea.

Thank-you Ms. Brain.  A lady with discernment at last.  Unlike that NicTei. 

[NicTei]

   Amidst the monotonous grey-green of the forest, a single red eye suddenly snapped open.  With a small sigh, the reptilian form rolled out of the hole in the tree that it had been sleeping in, its scales textured in a way that mimicked the flesh of the large fungus immaculately.  The Scavenger’s other red eye opened as it yawned, revealing two rows of razor-sharp teeth that were normally concealed in its lipless, arrow-shaped face.  Shaking itself vigorously as if to rid itself of fatigue, it flexed its four-clawed hand.  The others had told it what was going on; there was food.  Crouching down onto all fours, the Scavenger sprinted off through the forest, little more than a blur as it raced through the underbrush, following the dictations of its species’ Mother.

<<>>

“What was that?”

   Erika turned around at Sellyn’s question, and Tomyx stopped, seeming to have heard her.  Sellyn was gazing intently at the dark entrance on the side of the ship, the door torn off during entry into the atmosphere.  For a moment, it looked as if she was going to run into the wreckage, but the only move she made was a slight step backwards.  Erika started towards her, and Tomyx was close to follow, though he was watching the forest more intently now; he thought he’d seen a spot of red amongst the large ferns on the upper rim of the valley-sized crater.  The moment Erika reached the Dian, however, she took off, running in an almost frightened manner into the ruined St. John’s Providence.

“What is she thinking!?” Tomyx roared, taking after her.

“I don’t know, but we’ve got to get her out of there!  We’re already being exposed to dangerous radiation as it is!” Erika retorted.

“And you couldn’t think of that before we came here!?” Tomyx snapped, exasperated.

   Fortunately, it wasn’t hard to follow Sellyn; there was a trail of mud in her wake as the damp dirt rubbed off on the metal floor.  Even after it had all come off, there was still the dull, gentle thud of her footfalls to chase after.  Erika almost thought that Tomyx had been left behind, but upon looking back, she saw that he was right behind her.  The cause of his silence was the wrappings on his feet; after the muddy slapping noise disappeared, the charm-inscribed linens silenced his steps.

   They were soon faced with a dilemma.  Due to an acoustic anomaly, the chamber they were in caused the sounds of Sellyn’s steps to echo, bouncing off of every available wall until it was impossible to tell where they were coming from.  As they were rapidly fading, Erika and Tomyx split up, each taking a different way out of the chamber.  A yell sounded from the direction Tomyx had run in, and he was soon shooting past Erika, a frightened look on his face.  Erika turned as the sound of claws on the metal floor started to reverberate through the corridor and immediately yelled as well, running to catch up to Tomyx.

   Standing three feet tall and covered in gray-green scales, the Scavenger chasing them was very likely a scout, here to look for the fresh meat and valuables that inevitably turned up at a crash.  Now, due to the hive-mind that the species possessed, every Scavenger in the area knew they were there, and would probably forget about the corpses, instead choosing what was still alive and moving.  The reptilian started to gain on Erika, opening its startlingly large maw, but suddenly Tomyx disappeared.  Erika stopped in front of a hole that led down to a lower floor, the corridor below shrouded in darkness.

“Just jump, Erika!” Tomyx shouted from down below.

   Somewhat reassured by Tomyx’s voice, and not wanting to try and outrun the Scavenger forever, Erika jumped down the hole, resisting the urge to dive headfirst.  The Scavenger stopped at the edge of the opening in the floor, staring down at them with its beady red eyes.  Finally, it stalked away, as if forgetting about them.  Erika looked at Tomyx.

“Why would it have just walked away?” she asked.

“Why are you asking me?” Tomyx replied, looking both ways down the darkened corridor.

“Let’s go this way,” he said after a while, pointing the way they’d been traveling on the upper floor.

“Deeper into the ship?  Are you kidding me?” Erika nearly yelled.

“I’m not leaving Sellyn in here, and there’re probably more Scavengers outside.  The safest place to be right now is right here,” Tomyx answered, moving off towards the interior of the ruined spacecraft.

   Erika grudgingly followed; the last thing she wanted was to be left behind in the dark, eerily quiet corridor.  As they walked on, they became aware of what sounded like footsteps above them, and immediately thought it could be another Scavenger.  They were coming to a spiraled stairwell, though they didn’t stop to touch on how out of place it seemed in even an older ship.  The footsteps were now at the top of the stairwell, descending into their corridor.  As they prepared to run, however, Tomyx let out a sigh of relief.

“There you are!” he exclaimed, startling Sellyn badly.

“Follow me!” she said, sprinting down the corridor.

“Oh, for the love of…” Tomyx muttered, taking off after her and dragging Erika along.

   Sellyn didn’t seem to want to stop at all, though she occasionally paused when she came to a fork in the road.  Every time this happened, however, she would simply nod as if hearing someone speaking to her, and then run off in a seemingly random direction.  Erika and Tomyx both knew after a while that there was no way they would be able to get out again; they’d long since lost track of where they were going, barely managing to keep up with Sellyn.  At long last, however, she stopped right outside of a door, waiting impatiently for them to catch up.

“In here, quickly,” she said.

“Why are you acting so weird?” Tomyx asked as they entered the room.

“What in the world!?” he shouted mere seconds later.

   A large hole in the side of the ship was spilling in bits of rubble, the natural light of Ter’ra 7 shining in through it and illuminating a disturbing sight.  What appeared to have been a neat, tidy sick bay was now in bloody chaos, dubious blue substances mixing with red as parts of bodies, some of which had been partially eaten, lay strewn about the floor.  Clawed footprints were everywhere in the blood and fluids, and the entire place stank of Scavengers.  Trapped under the broken fragments of metal, a pair of strangely shaped legs stuck out, desperately trying to shake off a Scavenger that had already taken at least one bite out of them, black blood smearing its green face as it gushed out of the wound.  A muffled grunting was coming from the other side of the debris pile, a small portion of it moving.

“We’ve got to help!” Sellyn urged, running towards the Scavenger.

“Idiot!” Tomyx yelled as the Scavenger turned to face her, dropping the leg.

   As it was about to leap for her, one of the tendrils on the back of Tomyx’s head shot forward and knocked it out of the air.  The leg that hadn’t been too badly damaged flew up sharply, catching it in the jaw.  There was an ominous cracking noise, and the Scavenger hit the ground, whimpering while trying to put its broken jaw back in place.  Tomyx watched it while Erika and Sellyn moved quickly to the pile of metal, trying to move it off of the figure, which had suddenly become still.

“Tomyx, help us; that thing’s not going anywhere!” Erika snapped, trying to lift a large fragment of metal.

   Nodding, Tomyx hurried over and started to help them lift the metal.  Piece by piece, they deconstructed the debris pile, finally freeing the survivor underneath.  They backed away as the figure rose, careful to stay off of his wounded leg.  Erika began to wonder if they’d done the right thing; it certainly was an imposing figure.

   Standing at least seven feet tall, around four feet of his height belonging to his legs; long, spindly, and powerful, it was no wonder the kick he delivered had cracked the Scavenger’s jaw.  At their thinnest, they were as wide around as Erika’s forearm, and they didn’t get much wider, ending in a two-toed foot.  His arms were no different, extending halfway between his thigh and knees, just as lean, and ending in a hand with six digits.  Shaped almost like a pod, his body was three feet from the top of his head to his waist, the same pale white-yellow color as his legs and arms were.  Four black eyes were set into his head, just underneath a set of large, feather-like antennae.  Strangely, no nose or mouth were visible.

“Thank you,” a voice said from all around them.

“Er…you’re welcome?” Tomyx ventured.

“Please, there is no need to be intimidated,” the figure responded, and Erika got the feeling that there was gentle laughter in his eyes.

“Yeah…I’ll work on that,” Tomyx muttered.

“How rude of me; I am Keel’marin Tseeri Llaru, one of the medics aboard the St. John’s Providence,” the figure responded, bowing slightly and gracefully sweeping one of his long arms.

“I’m…never going to remember that,” Erika said after a moment of silence.

“Most of the crew simply called me ‘Keel’,” the medic answered gently before turning to Sellyn.  “Thank you for coming to help me.  I wasn’t sure anyone would hear me; I had my doubts that there were any sentient species on the planet, despite the captain’s assurances.”

“Do you make a habit of doubting your captain?” Erika inquired cautiously.

There was a moment of silence.

“It is a flaw that I’m trying to work out,” Keel answered finally.  “Come; we should leave this place.  You have already been subjected to dangerous radiation, and I won’t be able to help you in here.”

   As he limped closer, Erika could see him a little closer, taking in the details of his strangely shaped body.  What she’d thought to have been a lighter colored portion of his skin was actually a small expanse of glossy white fur, stopping just underneath his nearly non-existent neck.  He passed by, and she saw that the fur also formed a shield shape on his back, out of which extended small wings that didn’t look like they could do much more than add to his insect-like appearance.  Looking at Tomyx and Sellyn in turn, she finally followed him out of the room and through the corridors, finally exiting the ship.

“Looks like the rescue crew got here a little late,” Tomyx said as a small group of figures in radiation suits rushed towards them.

“Calm down; I assure you that they’re alright,” Keel said, presumably to the rescuers, as they stopped fussing over Tomyx, Sellyn, and Erika.

“I thought you said we were getting radiation poisoning,” Erika said flatly.

“You are, but you’ll be fine momentarily.  As soon as the rescue crew gets out of the way, I’ll help you,” Keel answered.

“Help us?  We need a very thorough shower, not some kind of shot,” Tomyx retorted.

“You’ve been exposed to at least 2.5 Sieverts; a shower will not help you, no matter how thorough.  If I do not feed off of the radiation, you will not only lose all the hair on your bodies, but will lose large quantities of white blood cells,” Keel replied.

Tomyx let out a small, inaudible sigh.  “Oh, well whatev-did you just say feed off of the radiation!?”

<><><><>Decision Point<><><><>
Well, what now?  We've got a mildly wounded survivor; are there more?  What caused St. John's Providence to crash?
<><><><><><><><>

[Thunderbird]

after the muddy slapping noise disappeared

I read this wrong at first... TOTALLY WRONG! 

This is a tough dp... hard to think of a reply.  I'd say there is a few other survivors... possibly one being a pet.  As for why the ship crashed... we could go the Aliens route, but I'd rather not since its already been done to death.  How about an unexplainable gravitational anomoly that pulled the ship out of orbit as if the planet itself had some sort of telekinetic power?

[NicTei]

Good thoughts, T.  I kind of want to get them off the planet, though.  I started this so I could get experience in the whole 'flying around in space' area, not stuck on some overworld.

[Chinaren]

As it was about to leap for her, one of the tendrils on the back of Tomyx’s head shot forward and knocked it out of the air.

Was it already in the air then?
[fly][/fly]
A good chapter there Nice, in the form of no one uber and so on, but I think the flow wasn't as smooth as usual, could use a little polishing here and there.

As for the Suggestion Phase, I'm putting for pirates.  Space pirates.  Arrr.  No doubt they were after the alien pet someone has found, and which is also responsible for the upcoming deadly plague!



 

[Thunderbird]

I'm not suggesting the force that pulled them down is constant... that's what made it rather surprising to them to find themselves suddenly plummeting through the atmosphere!  Perhaps it was done by some devlish device on another ship on the surface of the planet or something... as soon as they find it it leaves and they gotta chase it down (or something to that extent...)

BTW, TB finally finds a moment where NicTei or Saint haven't been online since C'ren's last visit and spots a little ol' witch all by his lonesome!

[NicTei]

I could combine those two suggestions?  Space pirates using a devilish device to deviously drag down...spaceships.  Darn.  Was hoping I could keep the alliteration going.  Ah well.

@Tbird:

[Chinaren]

TB finally finds a moment where NicTei or Saint haven't been online since C'ren's last visit and spots a little ol' witch all by his lonesome!

Finally a point to T!

[Panda-Brain]

I like Keel
It's really good.
I agree with China that it's not as smooth as the others.
Can one of the space pirates be really really stupid?

[NicTei]

Looks like we're going with space pirates, then?  To sum it up:  Space pirates dragging St. John's Providence out of the air for the cargo, and when the main characters investigate, it takes off, sparking a chase across space.  Right.  Got it.  Will do this after completing today's NaNoWriMo words.

[NicTei]

Since I'm beautifully ahead on NaNoWriMo, I think I'll work on this one right now, try and get the next part up at long last.  Oh, and don't worry about HeartEater and Lonely Island Inn; as soon as NaNoWriMo is over, I'm going right back to them.

[NicTei]

“Yes.  Perhaps I should explain.  I can draw in radiation through my antennae and use it as an alternative source of food,” Keel answered, pointing one of his long, spindly fingers at his feathery antennae.

“Do I even want to know what your primary source of food is?” Tomyx inquired.

“Tomyx, don’t be rude!” Erika scolded, elbowing him in the stomach.

   Any further conversation was cut short as another ship passed by overhead, flying close enough to the ground that its PlIN, or Planetary Identification Number, could be read clearly as 333-012-5.  Erika watched it as it skirted the crash site, finally landing somewhere in the forest.  Having been around the woods enough during her youth, she knew that it had either landed in a large clearing or near one, judging by the general direction it was traveling in.  It was still close, as she could faintly hear the door opening from somewhere in the trees.  Soon a tall figure was visible on the very edge of the crash site, covered in a radiation suit that looked more like a suit of armor.  It was Jacem, the Council Leader of Ter’ra 7.

“It would appear that I must give a reason for the crash,” Keel guessed, pulling Tomyx, Erika, and Sellyn along with him as he approached the Council Leader.

“Identify yourself and tell us what happened,” Jacem commanded in his authoritative voice as they drew near.

“I am Keel’marin Tseeri Llaru, referred to by the crew of the St. John’s Providence as ‘Keel.’  We were dragged off course by a strange gravity on this planet’s surface and were forced to make a crash landing,” Keel answered, bowing as he introduced himself despite his wounded leg.

“Where is Captain Angus?” Jacem inquired tersely.

“He died during the crash.  I tried to save him, but I was crushed by debris, and one of the local predators got to him before I did,” Keel answered calmly.

“Are you the only survivor, or do you know of any more?” Jacem inquired.

“I do not believe there to be any more survivors.  I myself was in my quarters, which are in the very interior of the ship, when it crashed.  To my knowledge, everyone else was at their stations either on the bridge or near the engine room.  To be fair, I didn’t check the quarters thoroughly, so there may still be a survivor there,” Keel replied, his wounded leg starting to tremble dangerously.

   Jacem turned to the two men behind him, wearing radiation suits nearly identical to his own.  They saluted quickly and listened to his words intently.

“Tell the rescue workers to send the bulk of their force into the crew’s quarters, and caution them about the Scavengers that are likely on board,” he instructed.

“Sir, if you will excuse me for a moment, I must assist these three,” Keel said to Jacem as his aides ran towards the wreck, indicating Sellyn, Tomyx, and Erika.

“Of course.  When they’ve been treated, send them to the rescue workers; they’ll get them back to the school,” Jacem answered.

“Yes sir,” Keel replied, bowing again before turning to the three behind him.  “This will only take a moment.”

   Leaning close to Erika, he let his antenna droop over her, and as she watched in astonishment, they started to grow larger until they were nearly two feet long.  The tips touched lightly on her forehead, and she could instantly feel a strange suction-no, it was more like a gravitation-pulling away what felt like a thick coating from her skin.  After a moment it stopped, and Keel moved towards Sellyn.  She shrank away, but Keel held up a hand.

“Do not be afraid.  Your friend wasn’t hurt; you’ll be fine as well.  It doesn’t hurt at all,” he assured her, touching the tips of his antennae to her forehead as well.

   In short order he was done with both Sellyn and Tomyx just as Jacem’s two aides returned.  They seemed to be communicating with him via a microphone in the helmets they were wearing, and through the visor they could see Jacem’s expression changing from neutral to mildly interested, and then right back to neutral.  He muttered instructions to them, and they were off momentarily, likely with more orders for the rescue workers.  Jacem looked at Keel.

“Two survivors were found:  a woman and a quadruped with-how did they put it?-boney tubes coming from its back,” the Council Leader said.

“I see.  That is a good thing, as the creature you described was a vital part of the Providence’s research,” Keel said.

“And what of the woman?” Jacem inquired curiously.

“I do not know at present who she is, so it is impossible to say if it is a miracle or great miracle,” Keel answered.

“What’s the best case scenario?” Jacem interrogated.

“If we are quite lucky, it will be Dr. Jameson, as she was the leader of the research department group that was looking into the creature,” Keel replied simply.

“And what’s the worst case scenario?” Jacem asked, giving Erika the impression that he didn’t trust Keel.

“The worst case scenario would be that she dies, regardless of who she is,” Keel answered.

   Whatever question Jacem had cooked up next was drowned out by the sudden sound of gunfire from near the crash site.  At first they assumed that some of the rescue workers had run into Scavengers, but as shouting was heard and the gunfire started moving closer to them, they all turned to see what was happening.  As the turned they were nearly knocked over by a small group of figures that were running quickly from the site of the crash, and Erika got a good look at them as they passed.

   All of them were humanoid, but were wearing mismatched armor.  Some pieces belonged to the elite forces of the Intersystem Republic of Sevvon, some pieces were recognizable as the thick bone armor of the tribal warriors found on a small planet just outside the Republic’s reach, known as Rrak, and still more pieces were so foreign to Erika that she couldn’t identify them.  Still, it was easy enough to tell what they were:  space pirates.  Erika’s heart leaped as this realization came to her; what would space pirates want here?

“They’ve got the monster!” one of Jacem’s aides yelled before being silenced by one of the pirate’s guns.

“They cannot be allowed to escape!” Keel exclaimed, starting to run but falling due to his injury.

   At that moment another figure came running past, a mask-like helmet covering his face.  Mostly black, there was a white symmetrical pattern on it that was mildly reminiscent of a Rorschach card inverted covering most of it.  Flailing around from between his shoulder blades was a spine-like tail, obviously part of his outfit and not actually a biological part of him.  On his shoulders were two matching black pauldrons, smooth and conforming nicely to his figure underneath the robe-like coat he was wearing.  At his waist was an oddity; an archaic sword, the dome-shaped guard colored slightly red.  The tails of his long coat swept behind him, swirling as he turned around to face the three armed men coming towards him.

“Halt!  You’re violating our planet’s laws and stealing from a crash site!” one of the armored guards said, leveling his gun at the figure, who merely cocked his head.

“Drop the weapon or we’ll shoot!” another warned.

   When the masked pirate didn’t let go of his sword, the three fired, sending Erika, Tomyx, and Sellyn running for cover.  Strangely, when they looked back the pirate was still standing there, though his sword, now revealed to be a saber, was in his hand in a position that suggested he’d just swiped it horizontally through the air.  Yelling in astonishment, the guards started to fire again, and it was then that Erika saw what was happening.  The saber moved in dizzying patterns at impossible speeds, a faint clanging noise indicating that he was knocking the bullets away.

   As he blocked the bullets, a few more of the guards joined the fray, two of them holding beam lances, long weapons that would fire a plasma ray from the tip when the trigger was pulled, but the ray was weak enough that it was better to use the lance as a melee weapon.  Waiting for an opening, they both charged the masked pirate, who was slowly and steadily moving backwards in the direction that the other pirates had run in.  Seeing them coming, the pirate leaped into the air, flipping over them and landing deftly behind them.  Spinning in a complete circle, he knocked a few bullets away and blocked an incoming lance, ducking under another as he sliced through the armor that covered the back of one of the lancer’s knees.  He fell just as the other lancer charged again.

   Blocking the lance for a second time, the pirate kicked the lancer roughly in the stomach, knocking him to the ground.  Turning again, he blocked more of the guard’s bullets, but as he moved back, he stumbled on a root.  Instantly three bullets found their way to his shoulder, the impact sending him backwards.  Making an impossible mid-air recovery, he landed on his feet, sliding backwards to a complete halt, his right arm dangling limply at his side and his sword in his left hand.  A faint voice was barely audible inside his helmet; he was receiving orders.  Nodding, he rose to his feet again.

   Suddenly he was right in front of the three men, and the sword flashed three more times before he took off again at a remarkable pace, chasing after the other pirates.  A split second later, the three guards fell to the ground, their kneecaps destroyed by the skillful slashes.  It was so sudden that they couldn’t even scream, not feeling it until after they’d fallen.  By the time Erika looked from them towards the pirate that had done it, he was gone, having disappeared into the monotonous green of the forest.  It was Keel that snapped her out of her thoughts.

“We cannot let them leave!” Keel insisted.

“I’m not going to give chase until you tell me why that little monster is important!” Jacem answered.

“I’ll go!” Erika offered.

“You’ll do no such thing!” Jacem retorted.

“I couldn’t endanger you like that,” Keel replied, though it was obvious that he was seriously considering it.

“I’ll leave the moment you say it’s too dangerous,” Erika bargained.  “Besides, I was going to chase after them anyways.  I want to see their ship.”

“Erika, are you insane!?” Tomyx yelled.

“It would seem I have no other choice.  I accept your offer, but you must do exactly as I say,” Keel answered at length.

“No problem,” Erika agreed.

“Help me up,” Keel ordered.

   Erika helped him back to his feet and watched as he started to rub his wings together, managing to get a few inches off the ground.  Putting one hand on her shoulder for support, they both started off in the direction that the pirates were going.  Erika looked up at him as they moved, not really understanding why he needed someone to come with him.

“I’ll need someone to help me run if I can’t fly any longer,” Keel replied, answering her unasked question.  “And no, I can’t read minds.”

“Have we given any thought to what we’re going to do when we catch up to the pirates?” Erika asked.

Keel was silent for a moment.  “I’ll make it up as I go along,” Keel answered.

“That’s reassuring,” Erika muttered.

“As long as you do what I say, you’ll be fine,” Keel assured her.

“Wait up!” someone called from behind them.

   Erika turned enough to see both Tomyx and Sellyn following them, sprinting as fast as they could to catch up.  Erika started to slow down, but Keel shook his head.  It was obvious that he wasn’t going to stop with her if she was going to wait for her friends, and she knew that he probably couldn’t fly much longer, so she kept up the pace.

“We’re already pushing our luck as it is; if we slow down, we will never be able to catch the ship that the pirates are using,” Keel explained as if he knew what they were looking for.

“Have you seen these space pirates before?” Erika asked.

“I cannot say for certain, but I believe I’ve encountered them at some point,” Keel replied with a nod.  “They’ll have parked near a water source, as their ship uses it to run their cloaking device.  Assuming that these are the pirates I’ve seen, that is.”

“There’s a small lake nearby; maybe they’re using it?” Erika suggested.

“We’ll take you to it,” Tomyx said from right behind him; he and Sellyn had finally caught up.

“Thank you for the help.  You are subject to the same rules as Erika, however,” Keel warned them.

“Yeah, yeah, leave when you say, I know,” Tomyx replied, waving his hand.

“Less talking, more running,” Sellyn scolded.

   A deafening roar sounded from somewhere just ahead; the pirate ship wasn’t far, but it was preparing to lift off of the surface.  Erika could almost feel Keel’s frantic thoughts buzzing around his head, and he started trying to fly faster, pulling her along.  Tomyx and Sellyn noticed his increase in pace and strove to keep up with him, doubting that they’d be able to keep it up for much longer.  Thankfully, they finally stumbled upon a clearing where the largest ship they’d ever seen was starting to lift off.

   It was just short of being a frigate, nearly as large as the St. John’s Providence, and was very likely home to more than a hundred pirates.  The outside was just as patchwork as the armor of its inhabitants, with random bits of metal sticking off of it at points and parts of the hull thicker than other areas.  As they stopped to watch it, they saw that the small bridge used to board the ship was still open, the sword-wielding pirate just starting to enter, his spine-tail flicking back and forth behind him with every movement he made.

“I’m afraid we’re too late,” Keel muttered dejectedly.

“No, given the size of that ship, how long ago the engines started, and the size of the thrusters, we’ve got at least ten minutes until it lifts off,” Erika answered.

“Don’t ask,” Tomyx answered, cutting off Keel’s question.

“And no, he can’t read minds,” Sellyn added cheekily as they all started towards the ship.

   They moved quickly but cautiously, not wanting to encounter the swordsman without any armaments.  Starting up the bridge, they tried to deaden the sound of their footfalls as much as possible, taking every step slowly.  Only when a loud, unearthly creaking noise filled the air and the bridge started to raise did they quicken their pace, certain that their steps would be drowned out by the noise of the neglected hinges.  With a final loud clang, the door shut, trapping them inside the pirate home ship and cutting off all light save for a small glow that seemed to be coming off of Keel.

“I don’t think that’s a good sign,” Tomyx muttered, looking down at the door beneath his feet.

“Just shut up and help us look for Keel’s…pet,” Erika snapped.

“I think the tracking device on it should still be working, so if any of you have a wireless device, I’d like to see it,” Keel said, looking at them in turn.

“Well, well, well, what have we got here?” a voice asked from the darkness.

<><><><>Decision Point<><><><>
Who in the world could that possibly be?  ...dare I even ask you dirty-minded lot?
<><><><><><><><>

[NicTei]

There you go; another part of another chapter.  Suggestions are welcome, though I've got a few backup ideas.

[Chinaren]

Mmm, not sure about some of this one Tea.  I think the pirate fellow came over as too powerful, it would have been more 'exciting' if there had been a bit of a battle before he'd escaped, maybe even if he'd been wounded. 

Anyway, on to the SP.

I say it's a Special Interplanetary Constable (SIC), who's been following the pirates.  He doesn't want them to be intercepted, as he's trailing them to their hideout. 

Mind you, what exactly do they think they're going to do if they reach the pirate ship before it takes off, wave goodbye?  They couldn't even hurt the pirate, let alone what's sure to be a heavily armed vessel.      Just saying is all.

[Angel]

Erm, I'd say it's one of the pirate who makes out to them he's really important but really he isn't. He's actually the janitor and all the other pirates make fun of him. Of course they don't know this straight away and think he's one of the bull screws of the ship.

[Chinaren]

Erm, I'd say it's one of the pirate who makes out to them he's really important but really he isn't. He's actually the janitor and all the other pirates make fun of him. Of course they don't know this straight away and think he's one of the bull screws of the ship.

 

...

 

Wow, that's just given me an idea for a story! OMG...

[Angel]

 

[NicTei]

@Cren:  Well, since I've got a bit of time, I'll go back and give the pirate an injury or two and draw the fight scene out a bit.  Anyways, I thought ubervillains were okay?

@Angel:  Good idea.  If I don't have a couple more in a few days, I'll go with that.



EDIT:  There.  Fight drawn out slightly, and injuries awarded to the lucky pirate.  Carry on.

[Chinaren]

@Cren:  Well, since I've got a bit of time, I'll go back and give the pirate an injury or two and draw the fight scene out a bit.  Anyways, I thought ubervillains were okay?

'tis true, but somehow this just didn't seem right.  Anyway, I'm trying to help cure your Uberism.

EDIT:  There.  Fight drawn out slightly, and injuries awarded to the lucky pirate.  Carry on.

[Thunderbird]

Ack... missed this one when it first posted... sorry.

As an alternative, perhaps this is a stowaway, a captive from another pirate excursion who was attempting escape (which is why he encounters them near the exit).  He's been hiding out in the backwaters of the ship and can help them to get around unseen, if they do as he asks of them that is.