The Phoenix Colony

Fox catches them. "These things should be called pinegrapes. On the outside they might look like pineapples but on the inside they look and taste just like a big grape. Also, I just really don't want them making a stupid mistake. Its so obvious they are in love. Why can't they just admit it?" says Fox as she peels the pinegrape and begins to eat it.

 

"Give them a cance to admit it to themselves. Besides, it's either of our business if they can't see what we do." Chrys tries climbing to a higher branch, "I wonder if I can reach the canopy of these things?"

 

"You know what happens to cats when they climb too high right? They get stuck, and I really don't want to risk breaking me neck getting you down from the tree. With those two, a gentle push is going to help. Chad is too insecure about his appearance to make a move, and Raylene isn't going to make the first move. So, I made it." says Fox.

 

"Oh, pfft to ya!" Chrys yelled, just as her head broached the canopy of the tree, "Whoa! You should see this view! I mean, this planet looks so cool. The mountains, and the valleys, and...Wait a freaking minute." Chrys descends a few branches and calls down to Fox, "Have you noticed any red or blue trees?"

 

After swallowing a mouth full of pinegrape, Fox yells up "No I haven't. What do they look like? Do they have any fruit on them?"

 

Chrys climbs back to the canopy, "No! It's not that! They're, they're just red or blue, it looks like something out of one those old Trix commercials! You know, 'silly rabbit, trx are for kids!'?"

 

"Those commercials are from before your parents were born, so I'm suprised to hear that you know about them. Well what else can you tell me about them? Are they larger or smaller than the other trees?" says Fox.

 

"I like watching old stock footage. And no, they aren't, I think they're reacting to the sun, I wonder if they taste different. It's clear the leaves don't have chloroplasts or they'd be green."

Chrys climbed down to the lowest branch and hooped to the ground, stealing one of the pinegrapes, "You want to go search for one of those weird trees?"

 

"Well, we don't have anything better to do, so sure. Just lead the way cat-girl." says Fox as she finishes the pinegrape in her hands.

 

"Okay, give me a chance to go up again." She races to the canopy and counts the treetops between the one she's in and the ones she wants to go to. "How god is your sense of direction?"

 

"I think I can keep from getting lost. Plus we have your senses to help us. So how far away are they? Is this going to take awhile to find these trees?" says Fox.

 

"Shh, I'm counting!"

Chrys jumps down a few seconds later, "Fifteen treetops, that way." She points farther upstream. "So, think we'll pass like twenty trees on our way."

 

"Alright, lets get going. I'll follow you since you're the one that knows what they look like. So go ahead and take the lead, miss Chrissy Kat. Tell you what, if they are interesting, I'll give you a scratch behind the ear." says Fox with a grin.

 

"I am not a pet," she scoffs, "Geesh, just because you grow a tail and fur, and happen to have ears that look like a cat's, and eye's that look like a cat's-You know what, I am not a cat." She throws her hands up in exasperation, "Let's go already."

Fifteen minutes later, "Okay, I think I should climb a tree to check our location, I don't know what happened to the stream."

 

Fox laughs at her I'm not a pet rant. When she climbs the tree Fox tells her "You know that I don't really think of you as a pet right. Actually if anything, I see you as a little sister. I only scratch you ear because I know that you really do like it, whether or not you admit it." says Fox.

 

...I'm everybody's pet little sister..."Bah! And we're off course," She yells dow from the canopy. "We have to go five trees to the left, and then ten forward."

...Little sister...bah...chrys reachs the ground, "I am nobody's little sister. Hmph." She storms in the direction she just relayed.

 

Fox follows her with a grin. "Let me guess, you really don't like being called a little sister. You should have noticed by now that I don't tell people things just to make them feel good. I meant it, I do see you as my family on this planet. Also, I hope you don't get us lost in this forest." says Fox.

 

"Blah, blah blah. And BAH! Everybody does that. I hate being the younget one here." She charges forward, looking up into the trees. "The sunlight is starting to filter in a different color. I'm climbing again."

She grabs onto the lowest branch, sticks her tongue out at Fox, and climbs the rest of the way to the canopy.

 

"Kat, I don't see you as some little kid. Hell, you're only two years younger than I am." says Fox, as she thinks to herself "Why the hell is she getting so pissy about me saying that I care about her."

 

"Whatev, I stopped caring after I heard it from the third person...anyhoo, it's smels like sugar up here." Chrys was now surrounded by the blue leaves of the tree canopy.

"I want to taste one of these things, but I'm not dumb enough to do so up here." She breaks a few off of a branch and makes her way back to the ground.


Offering Fox some, she begins to nibble on one of the leaves, "I never thought sugar would taste so, so...odd?"

 

Profiles: Bull and Mineko

Name: Alexander “Bull” Lemon

Type of character: Criminal

Gender: Male

Age: 28

Appearance: Six feet of ebony muscle, bald with a largish nose and lion-like eyes.

Vocation/Skills: Computer programmer and technician. Formerly lifting cans of Red Bull and chips, later lifting weights and climbing chain-link.

Results of Genetic Alteration: Positive: Can see into and under water without distortion.
Negative: Loses sense of direction easily

Personality: Adopts a wait-and-see attitude about most things when he has the chance though prison has taught him to, however reluctantly, take action more quickly when he needs to.

Background: Born in what used to be known as Kenya, a tribal leader’s son, Alexander had no interest in remaining there to succeed his father but fought to become educated and fought even harder to leave. He eventually worked in the Twelfth Sector as a security tech and was arrested for leaking sensitive information. Because his crimes were against the government Alexander had no real hope of release from prison although is sentence only amounted to twenty years. This lack of hope was realized when he ended up on the transport bound for Mik14.

****************************

Name: Takahashi Mineko

Type of character: Criminal

Gender: Female

Age: 26

Appearance: Long straight black hair, dark eyes, honey-colored skin, slight build. A little over average height about 5’5” Wide cheekbones, small mouth.

Vocation/Skills: Banking/finance, some martial arts and running for recreation.

Results of Genetic Alteration: Positive: Heightened sensitivity to environmental pressure or seismic events (she will sense storms and quakes before they happen) Negative: Photosensitivity resulting in headaches when exposed for too long to bright light.

Personality: Reserved, watchful, protects those she cares about fiercely.

Background: Mineko grew up in Sector Nine which contained what originally had been Taiwan, one of the last sectors to fall to global rule. Her father and mother taught she and her siblings fierce independence before they were killed defending their home. Mineko took the career path dictated to her by her government and entered the banking/financial world. She defrauded Hashikura Steel of seven billion yen in the changeover from national currencies to Marks, the global currency. She went undiscovered for a year and was planning her disappearance when by a complete fluke she was caught and imprisoned. The prison needed to downsize and so she found herself on the transport to Mik14.

 

((I think I'm caught back up...correct me via PM or in the discussion thread if I have someone in the wrong place, please.))

“I barely remember my own name,” Bull rolled a deep laugh as Reva gave him a wary look. Mineko sat with her legs tucked under her not far away, “I’m not crazy it’s just that I’ve been called ‘Bull’ too long. It’s actually Alexander.” He extended one brawny hand, muscles all the way to his shoulder rippling ebony, “Alexander Lemon.” He added as Reva shook his hand.

With little prompting he outlined how he had come to be in prison as a marshmallow-bodied computer technician, accused of leaking sensitive information. Shy of the other prisoners, he had spent most of his time working out, developing - as Ben might have put it - a physique with ‘muscles out the ass’ and replaced his unfortunate habit of living on chips and energy drinks with the even more unfortunate habit of smoking.

In a pleasant bass Afrikaans-British accent he recounted how he had met Mineko at the crash site, ringed by female cons bent on relieving her of her boots by force.

“Things got real bad after the ship slid into the ravine,” he said as Mineko continued to sit silently, “fights over possessions, killing each other,” he shook his head, “my gang turned out to be stupid, I was the only survivor. Mineko and I teamed up and headed for the mountains figuring that anything was better than staying there.”

“You’re welcome here,” Reva was glad to have two more survivors for the tribe, “we have a problem that we’ll need to work together to solve."


Later, Reva walked from group to group in and around the cave, inspecting wounds and having the scouts recount their experiences. She was more relived than she wanted to admit when she saw that Derek had returned. She also noted Allen’s absence.

How long had Allen been gone? Reva wasn’t sure whether to worry for his safety or just worry about him. Period.

She covered the inner turmoil and greeted Cevin and his tribe carefully, eyeing the furry snake with trepidation.

“What are the chances that this thing will lead the Beast here before we’re ready to face it?” Reva asked Cevin.

Just then Allen stumbled into her line of sight. He looked alarmingly lost even though he had just walked in front of the familiar cave.

"Hold that thought," Reva told Cevin, raising one index finger as though pinning her question in space for later, "I have something to see to."

She paced toward Allen, noting his blank gaze, as though seeing some horror that wasn't there.

"Allen?" she asked, stepping in front of him, "Allen, are you ok?"

 

Where was everyone? Only a few people were still in camp. Allen shook his head violently, trying to clear it. There were some new people talking with Reva. this little "tribe" was turning into a small nation it seemed. He walked over to them with a casualness he didn't feel.

They had a creature with them, it looked like a snake with legs. "What's this, a new pet?"

 

Reva watched Allen push past her as though she had said nothing at all and wasn't, in fact, even there.

"What is this, a new pet?" Allen asked.

Well, he seemed okay now. She shrugged and went after him.

"It's a baby beast from what I gather," she replied as she came up beside Allen.

The little snake-thing tilted its head then gave a small leap and scrambled up Allen's leg before winding its tail around his bad arm and his back and peering up at him.

"And apparently it likes you." Reva said dryly.

"Better you than me," Bull said, shuddering a little and Mineko gave him an unreadable look that seemed to have laughter in it.

 

Allen smiled and reached up to pet the creature. He'd always wanted a pet that matched him. Who knew, perhaps if they got out of this situation alive it could be tamed. It would be like a really, really big invisible guard dog.

"How did you get it? And when was the last time you fed it?"