The Phoenix Colony

Juan stumbled until the floor gave way. It felt like he was falling forever until the hard ground finally met him. He gripped the grass and smiled. Happy to be alive.

"Well now," said a voice ,"lookie here. I found the girly girl. Ya ain't so pretty without ya hand but Big Joey doesn't mind."

 

Just walk straight. One foot in front of the other.

Harold's eyes stared blankly at the ragged hole in the ship. He tried to ignore the swirling colors and shapes that danced in front of his eyes.

Focus! You're wobbling. They can't know you're messed up.

A giant, cotton candy pink swirl bounced up from the floor. The former mobster's lips began to curl into a smirk.

No, don't - hehehe pink swirlies - don't start loosing it - swirlie swirlie swirlie -not now. They'll kill - they won't kill the swirlies .........

He collapsed a few yards from the ship mumbling about swirlies and murder.

 

Alright, I know who he is, thats good right? A shower of sparks revealed the silhouette of a skinny man about as tall as him. "Alright Cull, good to know you, glad you got out of there, I left you in good hands. Why the hell were you hiding back there? You nearly made me **** my pants!" He looked away and wiped yet another pool of sweat off of his face. "Regardless, we have to get out of here, you and me, I'm not sure where this hallway goes, but it goes away from the center of the ship, and thats good." At the end of the artificial cavern Ben could see a shaky beam of light, slowly growing and shrinking as a screeching sound cried out in time with its transformations.

"I think there may be a hole in the ship that way," he said pointing towards the light, not that anyone would see where he pointed in the dark, "And past that God only knows, you've followed me this far so you know the drill, right?"

 

Fox heard a woman say "Can you slide her to me." She looks up at the vent and sees the woman on the other side. Fox says "Sure, no problem." She goes over to the vent. She looks at the blond woman and says "This is going to hurt but you just have to bear with us for a little while." She slides the woman through head first. After sliding her through, Fox goes through the vent. She looks at the third woman and says "Ok, so where to now. Oh, and by the way my name is Fox."

 

Raylene winced as she was lifted through the vent, passing out on the other side.

Bright light flashed behind her eyes as the red heads moved her through the wreckage.

She was at their mercy. Controlled by another, like she had been throughout her life.

 

Chrystine here's her father's voice, "I'll be there for you, just believe..." Believe in what? You lying bastard, marshmallow, S.O.B... She, waves her fist in the air, causing the mesh below her to chink, scaring her.

"Wah?" She screams, popping herself into a sitting-position. "Where am I?"

A voice responds from below her, "On my damn cage! You gonna help me out? Or just keep blabbering?

"My name's Chrystine, who are you?" She screams, placing her lips right against the mesh she was just laying on. "Are we still on the ship?"

 

Owen, having extricated himself (rather painfully) from the holding cell, crouched against a recess in the floor (which was now a wall) that he thought was some kind of maintenance panel. Just ahead, Ben and Cull were speaking in hushed tones. Owen made to sidle closer, but slipped, plunging his hand into a tangle of wires.

ZZT!!

“FU*K!” he screeched, yanking his hand away. Smooth, he thought to himself. Now they knew he was following them.

 

"Reva," Reva replied by way of greeting as she took the weight of the blonde woman, "careful, this slope is going to be a pain in the neck to get down."

The shapes of people were just visible in the murk, dull light showing at the bottom of the sloping gallery, sparks occasionally cascading from above. The floor appeared to be studded with translucent panels and it took Reva a moment to remember that the floor was the wall.

Whatever.

"Let's get out of here," she said to Fox and the blonde woman.

As they made their way out the sound of women pleading for help followed them. Reva set her teeth. Maybe she would try to come back to help them if she could face it.

Then again, maybe not.

 

As he was waiting for a response from his new companion a flash of light and a loud curse caught Ben's attention. "Wha-" he said turning away from the light at the end of the tunnel, only to see a new figure enveloped in darkness. "Well well well, it appears you too were being followed, Cull." he said with a smirk. "Who goes there!"

 

Chys watched the party of three stumble past her, summing up the voice she had heard from the mesh, she states, "Don't you walk past me, goddamit. Get me the heck outta here!"

One of the women looks over at her, but says nothing before continuing on.

"Who was that?" Yells the person on the other side of the mesh.

"I don't know, I didn't catch names. Whay are you on the other side? And who are you?" She screams, losing her temper.

 

As Fox follows Reva, she could hear the sounds of women screaming for help. "You are going to have to ignore them for now. The best thing we can do is just find a way off this ship." she says in a calm voice. Afterall, Fox was used to dangerous situations by know, atleast this one didn't have someone shooting at her.

 

Owen paused. “Owen, Owen Harris. How the hell do we get out of here?” He called, making his way closer. He was favoring both his left knee and right hand. Had it been lighter in the corridor, it would be seen that he was leaving a trail of blood, which was pumping from a his wounded knee with each sickly throb of his head.

 

The bed gell towards the sloping floor/wall, hit, bounced, and slid throught the open door into the corridor where it falls even further. Allen grabbed onto the mattress from the top bunk and held on for dear life. The bed hit some debris and bounced again, sending the mattress flying away from it where it finally came to an abrupt halt at the bottom of the corridor, butter side up.

 

Smith rubbed his head from the exertion. His head was feeling better now after having a long break watching the criminals scurry about like mice fleeing a sinking ship. He smirked to himself at his own inside joke. They maybe mice but they where his and he’d try his best to make sure that everyone made it out fine.

He had watched a majority of them start getting out but had noticed none of the females had left through the hole he had made. He let out a long sigh and began the controlled slide down the slope to the floor below. He reached the bottom and chambered a round before sneaking up to hole he had made for the females. He poked his head in hearing some female shouting something. “I don't know, I didn't catch names. Why are you on the other side? And who are you?" She screamed again.

“Hey you in there need some help?” Smith called and jumped and pulled himself in making sure to keep an eye out for the now free women. “Someone need some help in here?” He called again waiting for a reply.

 

Chrys slipped one hand into her pocket, appraising the man before her, "I don't know, she won't tell me. Why are there people on the other side of the mesh? Where are we?"

She gripped her hand, tightly, around her lighter, "Who are you? Why aren't we at the prison-courthouse?-Why aren't we moving!?" She wailed, showing her lighter to the man.

 

"Calm down please miss. We need to get out of here and to some fresh air the transport ship has crashed and the engines buring, so we need to get to fresh air." Smith said in a calming voice while keeping the rifle at the low ready incase he needed to use it. "I'm a gaurd, you can call me Chad. The mesh was where the dangerus prisoners where." He added and stepped to the side and motioned that she could go through the hole in front of him. "I undid everyones restraints so they could get away, but now you need to get moving." He said the last bit with a bit of command. His head still hurt and the fumes wheren't helping.

 

"Chad?" Chrys said, accidently mimicing the guard ahead of her. "You're telling me there's a killer on the other side o' this thing?" She stammered, slowly stepping towards this Chad.

He looked oddly familiar, but that wasn't important, she was finally noting the whole that'd been looming ahead of her.

Placing the lighter back in her pocket, she extended her hand again, in welcome. "My name's Chrystine Waters, or Chrys, with a 'y."' She stated, without smiling.

 

Cull grumbled under his breath, he had been revelling in Ben nearly s***ing his pants until just then. He whirled round as he heard a loud zap and snorted in amusement as a man a little further back looked up at them with wild eyes.

“Owen, Owen Harris. How the hell do we get out of here?” Cull frowned it was a great question with a mildly elusive answer yes just how would they get out of here?

“Beats the hell outta me, ask him.” Cull pointed to Ben. He seemed like the Einstein time to Cull or at least his ideas were proving a bit safer then anything Cull might have thought up.

 

"Good to meet you." He said with a kind smile and released one hand from the rifle to shake hers. It was a quick shake after all the dangerus people where loose now. "They were on the other side of that thing now they're all over the place. If you'll lead the way i'll make sure nothing happens to you, i promise." I said and motioned again for the hole.

He scaned around worried. Several of the women gave him evil looks but this poor girl didn't seem the type to survive long with women like this so he'd better get her out at least. He made sure his back was mostly against the wall. Man he wished he knew where any of the other gaurds were.

 

Chrys shook his hand, relieved that he hadn't caught on to what she'd done. Clamboring through the whole, she braced herself, then reached back for the guard. he seemed like a much needed aly. Mom used to tell her, "When you think you're alone, look for someone to change that. But be awares of why."

Looking into the lenses that blocked Chad's eyes, she said calmly, "Why are you helping me?" She'd been burnt too many times.

 

Smith smiled kindly again. "Because I need all the freinds I can get if you haven't noticed." He said motioning with the barrel to the females left in the room. Most eyed him with the same thoughts in mind. (I wonder if i can over power him). "I'm not the most popular guy around right now." He added, and then caughed a bit, the motion sending his head spinning. He leaned against the wall for support. "But we really need to get moving Chrys." This time sounding a bit worried. He had to hold up till he got out of the ship then he'd have to count on Ben to help him, he didn't know how long he could maintain his current condition. He'd gotten better from the rest but not must, he needed to lay down and let his body do some repairs on it's own but now wasn't the time.

 

Chrys eyed Chad cautiously, wondering why he was slowing down, "Um, move-let's move." She said, grabbing Chad's hand and yanking it furiosly out of the whole.

With Chad safely out of the prisoner corridor, she looked at the weapons afixed to his belt, noticing the hand slowly heading for the stun gun.

Summoning his voice as best as she could, and looking away, she stated coldly, "Touch me, and I shoot you." The hand retreated quickly, followed by clattering from the other side of the breach.

 

Joseph Alexander Bardon

Name: Bardon, Joseph Alexander
Type of character:Criminal
Gender:Male
Age:26
Appearance: Joseph's skin is a light tan color, like someone who has spent a long time working in the sun. His head is shaved, though he sports some rough looking black facial stubble. He is a very strong looking man, very imposing. It is his eyes that get people the most. They are intensely green. They always seem to be looking through things rather than at them. Has a tattoo of his former rank on his right shoulder.
Vocation/Skills: Vocation--Sergent Major of the Army. Skills--Having worked his way up through the ranks, Joseph has learned to be a hard and calculating man. His knowledge of military tactics and combat forms is quite extensive, as is his ability to survive harsh conditions for a time. Basic knowledge of field medical techniques.
Results of Genetic Alteration: Joseph appears to be able to heal himself at an extremely fast rate, sometimes even right before a person's eyes. On the flip side, he is now suffering from pains in his chest.
Personality: Joseph is a severe man. Quiet and cold. He is the man that gets the job done no matter what and isn't much for leaving people behind. He can come off negatively to a lot of people, but that is just a result of his military bearing.
Background: Joseph came from a long line of soldiers. It had always been his dream to follow in the footsteps of his father, the famous General Thomas Bardon, and become a general as well. He was enrolled in a military academy at the age of 8 where he excelled at almost every task with flying colors. After he graduated and was officially conscripted into the service, he slowly but surely climbed up the rank ladder just as his superiors had expected him to. Then the day came when Bardon's father was convicted of plotting to overthrow the world government. Joseph was shattered. He stood by helplessly and watched on the the day his father was put into shackles and shipped off to one of the mining planets with all the other criminal scum. Less than a year later, Thomas Bardon was killing in a mining accident. It wasn't to long afterwards that he was contacted by a group of revolutionaries who called themselves the Icarus Coalition. His faith in the military already shaken, Joseph agreed to meet with them. It was then that he was shown the truth of all the corruption in the world government and how his father might have been set up. Without a word to anyone, Joseph left the military and sold all his belongings, falling off the grid entirely. A year later Bardon resurfaced as a high ranking member of the now militant Icarus Coalition. He was among the top organizer's of the attack on the Section 60 military base. Several high ranking government officials were killed, but ultimately, the Icarus Coalition was laid to rest. Bardon was shackled, just like his father, and shipped off to a quarry planet where he was sentenced to life.

 

Smith was confused for a moment but turned slowly to see a large man who appeared to have been taken back a bit by something. “Oh, I see.” He said to himself and the man attempted to jump at him. Adrenaline surged and Smith brought the butt stock of the weapon to the criminal’s face who fell to the ground out cold. Smith stumbled backwards after the blow, his ears ringing as his head pounded in pain. “Got to stay awake.” He said to himself softly and then turned to the girl and smiled.

“Thanks.” He said with a weak smile. He resisted temptation to put a hand on his head knowing that any sign of weakness could and would be used against him by these people. His ears still ringing he decided he could trust her. “I’ll lead the way.” He said and stepped past her and began walking slowly down the hallway.

 

Chrys followed closely behind Chad, looking back at the man. "Um, Chad. Chad!" She screamed, watching the man recover. She had just watched him hit the ground, bleeding from the wound where the gun hit him. He shouldn't even be stirring, but this guy was resillient. He might make a good ally...

"Chad, let's go back for that guy."