DT Studio Presents A Darkthought RP Starfall The Zodiac Incident The Story So Far Spoiler Excerpts from the Archives on Sakhir IV The 22nd Century-World War III Spoiler The 22nd Century of Earth was one marked with horrible plagues, deadly diseases, and rampant use of nuclear weapons. Citizens the world over who had become dissatisfied with the growing power and corruption of national governments began to protest en mass. Civil unrest mounted as these governments refused to give in to the demands of their citizens and eventually responded to these protests by slowly stripping the population of its rights, enacting curfews, declaring martial law, and even rounding up protesters in large internment camps. At the same time on a national level, relationships between the largest nations of the world had been deteriorating steadily for quite some time. The strain became too much and it was only a matter of a few years before war broke out. Information regarded exactly who dropped the first bomb has been lost over the centuries, though evidence seemed to indicate that it may have been the act of a group of military dissidents in the Western Union, a dictatorship comprised of what had been Canada, the United States, and parts of Mexico. Whatever may have been the case, the world was soon ignited in the fires of nuclear war and the world entered a Second Dark Age. 23rd Century-The Rebirth and the Founding of the Empire Spoiler In the aftermath of the nuclear fallout that wracked the world, humanity was left devastated. The world had, for the most part, been reduced to wandering tribes and gangs. Food and clean water was scarce. However, out of the ashes of the old world, a new human consciousness emerged. People began to see what humanity had done to the world around them and slowly came together. A collective of scientists, doctors, and philosophers who had survived the seeming apocalypse banded together and began to reconstruct the world. The first of what would become many new cities was dubbed New Caracol, as it emerged amongst the ancient ruins of the Maya in South America, large portions of which were untouched by the previous century's wars. The scientists who led the city provided people with safe food and free, clean water. Methods were developed for efficiently scrubbing the land of the deadly fallout. New, alternative fuel powered machines were constructed to work with the environment rather than against it. Slowly, as the 23rd century drew to a close, global communication was reestablished using what remained of the old world satellite network. New Caracol connected with similar sites in Egypt, India, Antarctica, and a union of numerous small islands in the Pacific. Together they formed the foundation of what would become the greatest Empire in human history. 24th-25th centuries-The United Earth Empire Spoiler As the environmental damage was slowly dealt with, population on Earth began to grow as well with the help of eugenics projects and a stabilizing birth rate. Eventually, the people of earth began to look to the stars once more. Over the next two hundred years, there was an explosion in space exploration and colonization. Deep space travel was revolutionized with the invention of the Resonance Drive. This FTL could change the vibrational frequency of matter, effectively making matter weightless and without density for a short time. In such a state, matter could travel extreme distances in a very small amount of time. Huge colony ships filled with a mix of natural born humans and clones were sent to far flung worlds. By the time the 25th century was drawing to a close, the new United Worlds Empire spanned nearly a hundred populated worlds and several more with small outposts. The massive influx of resources made the Empire rich. Poverty, hunger, and disease had been virtually eliminated. Up until this point, humanity had considered itself alone in the galaxy, but several ruins of unknown origin were discovered on a number of the colonized planets. These ruins ranged from small, singular compartments deep underground to sprawling cities. Though no physical remains were ever found of the creatures that may have lived in them, evidence of their advanced understanding could be found in their technology. Though much of their technology has yet to be understood, some has served to greatly advance technologies pertaining to weaponry and personal protection as well as energy manipulation. These creatures have come to known as Archons and were thought to have lived in a time that predates human history. The 26th Century-The Day of Dark Skies Spoiler Many had speculated on what the nature of first contact with an intelligent alien species would be like, though few had anticipated what happened. One moment everything was fine, and the next entire colonies were going dark. Communication attempts failed, reconnaissance satellites were off line, manned incursions simply disappeared. It was as if the worlds had been swallowed up. Panic began to grip the populace as the pattern of disappearing planets began to wind its way steadily towards Earth. The Net became littered with videos of huge structures lowering themselves down out of the skies of planets that had gone dark only moments after the videos were uploaded. Humanity had no choice but to admit that it was under attack by an unknown enemy of unknown strength, and humanity was ill equipped to handle such a threat. The last few centuries of peace had left the U.W.E. with an anemic, poorly structured military. Despite attempts to organize a resistance of some sort, the nameless enemy simply swept across the galaxy, taking every human world it came across. When the assailants finally reached Earth, communications between the worlds had been cut off in an attempt preserve the safety of worlds that might not have been discovered by the enemy yet. The scientists and leaders who remained on Earth purged the next of all information regarding the location of other human worlds. The day Earth fell came to be known as the Day of Dark Skies. Present Times- The Directorate of Thirteen Worlds Spoiler Though a few more worlds fell to the nameless threat, the pattern of aggression suddenly came to a halt. With the structure of the government shattered and humanity in a disarrayed state, things began to deteriorate once more. Outposts and whole regions of space became home to roving bands of space pirates and scavengers. A military alliance of necessity between a handful of human worlds gave birth to the Directorate of Thirteen. Though not all human worlds belong to the Thirteen, the organization does its best to protect all human interests. It has been eighty years since the enemy has been seen and the Thirteen have taken great strides in building a strong military using old cloning technology and robotics to produce a highly advanced and specialized force. Things are far from perfect, however, as the old issues of hunger and poverty have resurfaced. There are also those who see the Thirteen as bearing too much resemblance to the old world dictatorships that brought about the nuclear holocaust. Whatever may be true, none can deny that the Thirteen are all that stand between humanity and its destruction. Places You Should Know Spoiler Zodiac Station The massive collection of space platforms known as Zodiac Station was built during the age of exploration above the icy and harsh yet resource rich planet of Thakaj. The platform was the first of its kind. Large enough to support several thousands of people, the station was practically an orbital city. It was abandoned, however, during the events of Starfall when the nameless enemy first started taking human planets. In the time since, the Thirteen have had most of the station retrofitted to serve as a military outpost, scientific research station, and a vantage for harvesting the resource rich planet below. It has also become a place of refuge for thousands of people who were displaced by the attacks on humanity. Several corporations from inside and outside worlds controlled by the Thirteen have also taken up residence on various platforms. The station is divided up into four platform groupings, called Quarters, of three octagonal platforms a piece, each named for one of the ancient zodiac signs. The Platforms Quarter I- Aries, Taurus, Gemini Spoiler Also known as the Military Quarter, this Quarter is home to both soldiers and scientists backed by the Thirteen. Access to this Quarter is restricted to military and science personnel, along with a few corporate liaisons and civilian contractors. Aries Platform is the seat of the Under-Director, Military Command, Station Police Force, and the Intelligence Offices. This Quarter contains the bulk of the station's ship docking bays, many of which are still used by the Thirteen for the same purpose. One of the notable features of the platform is the Directorate Command Center, an old U.W.E. star ship docking hangar. Taurus Platform is home to the bulk of those who serve in the military. The bulk of these consists Space Marines, a hardened and highly trained group that utilizes the latest in laser and plasma weaponry and even Heavy Assault Augmented Armor, simply referred to as H3A. This platform consists primarily of training grounds and barracks. Gemini Platform is reserved for science facilities and the scientists that abide in them as well as military hospitals. Little is known exactly what goes on in this highly secured area. Though they are often overcrowded, the populace has come to appreciate the work done in this platform's hospitals. This is also where the a small number of the Directorate's feared and respected Psyon Division makes its home. Quarter II- Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces Spoiler Also known as the Corporate Quarter, the Thirteen rented this Quarter out to a number of mega-corporations based off station in order to generate much needed revenue to support the rest of the station. Here the many corporate workers make their homes in tall buildings constructed by the various corporations. Capricorn Platform is unarguably the nicest area of the station. Here reside the numerous corporate directors and CEOs, occasionally with their families. The platform is also where these corporations have placed their offices and factories. The area is closely tied in with the military of Quarter I as well as the miners and farmers of Quarter 3. Jain Corp has also chosen to construct a lavish headquarters on the station. Aquarius Platform consists of the tall, cramped buildings in which the numerous corporate workers make their homes. Many of these people have come from off station for work. While this platform is not as nice and lavish as Capricorn, it is still a more comfortable life than anywhere else on the station. Pisces Platform is home to the second largest collection of docks on the station. It is here that supplies and parts are flown in off station from numerous worlds throughout human controlled space. Those corporations that deal in shipbuilding also use this platform for their operations, constructing the massive ships that comprise the Directorate Navy. Quarter III- Cancer, Leo, Virgo Spoiler Both the Leo and Virgo Platforms of this Quarter are used for the stations farms and food production facilities. These two platforms are responsible for providing food and water to the entire station while the Cancer Platform is used as an offloading and refinement center for resources harvested from the planet below. Leo and Virgo Platforms are home to a large number of farmers. Both areas are filled with water filtration stations and large biodomes where plants are grown are artificial meats are produced. Cancer Platform, behind Quarters I and II has the next largest amount of docks. The area is dominated by large refinement facilities and offloading platforms for minerals and other resources harvested from the world below. Many people who work as miners and harvesters are from off station, though a fair number are also Zodiac natives or refugees. Quarter IV- Libra, Scorpio, Saggitarius Spoiler All three of these areas are home to the numerous first, second, and third generation refugees who have come to call the Zodiac home. Due to overcrowding, the area is rife with crime and sickness. Most of the homes are little more than shanties pieced together from whatever refuse could be salvaged by those who live in them. The area is frequented by off station smugglers who seek to peddle their illegal goods to the citizens of the Quarter. However, not all citizens are dishonest people. Many try to make a legitimate living by working on the farms or joining the mining crews of Quarter III. People You Should Know Spoiler Director Adrian Dominic Though he is not likely to ever personally visit Zodiac Station, Dominic is a name that is known both in and outside Directorate space. He has had to make several hard calls during his tenure as Director, but his frequent public addresses and transparent approach to government has made him widely adored. His reputation as former Grand Admiral of the Directorate forces have helped his character stand the test of time against accusations of corruption. Master Gunnery Sergeant “Old Breed” Callum Mason In short, Mason is a living legend in the Directorate. He is the most decorated marine in the history of the Thirteen. The Gunny made a name for himself during the Azraq Conflict when a number of pirate clan banded together to and blockaded the planet of Azraq II, cutting the planet off from vital resource shipments. Mason led a small task force into an enemy capital ship and eliminated the pirate leader and all his lieutenants without losing a single man. There are several such stories of Mason's heroism. Over time, he has become a symbol of the Directorate Space Marines. Under-director Janick Tombs Tombs has had to endure a lot of difficulty during her tenure as Under-director due to her being so young. Being only in her late twenties, many feel that she lacks the adequate experience to effectively execute her duties. Despite this, Janick has developed a reputation among her peers for performing well under pressure. Though the details of her assignment to the far removed Zodiac station are highly classified, the citizens of Zodiac Station have come to trust her. She strives to offer what little aid she can to the commoners and under her leadership, the crime rate has begun to steadily drop. Astin Jain Astin Jain is arguably the richest man in the galaxy with a net worth well into the trillions. He inherited the Jain Corporation when he was only twenty years old, and in ten years the company has increased profits nearly three hundred percent. He sees Zodiac station as a mere investment and a chance to capitalize on the resources of the planet below. Jain is not a citizen of the Thirteen and has little use for their rules and trade regulations. For him, profit is the only law. Dr. Shiro Kakio Shiro made a name for himself as a pioneer in the field of genetics,cellular science, and neuro-engineering. His vaccines are responsible for eliminating a number of sicknesses from the population and his work alone has extended the human life span nearly twenty years. He is well loved by the population of Zodiac station for personally funding the operation of several free hospitals on the Gemini Platform. Characters Spoiler The Galaxy is a big place with endless opportunities for a person such as yourself. Do you come from one of the core worlds of the Thirteen? Perhaps you are part of one of the refugee families that live aboard the Zodiac station. You might even be a member of the prestigious Directorate Space Marine Corps or a deadly and mysterious Psyon. If you can think it, you can probably do it. Its up to you. Jobs If your character has a profession it may come from the following list. If you would like to have another profession just run it by me and it will probably be fine. Basically anything you would think a person would do in space is probably okay. Each profession comes with its own perks which are probably pretty self evident. Hackers are good with computers, soldiers and bounty hunters are skilled in combat, etc. Jobs Common on Zodiac Station Space Marine, Miner, Farmer, Corporate Employee, Smuggler, Police Officer, Maintenance Worker, Shipbuilder, Dock Worker, Scientist, Pilot, etc. Psyons Spoiler During the late 25th Century, citizens of various colonies began to exhibit signs of heightened psychic ability. However, the U.W.E. dissolved before further research could be done on the subject. In the years since the enemy has gone silent, however, the Thirteen have poured an incredible amount of resources into the location, testing, acquisition, and training of such individuals to be part of their elite Psyon Unit. Prospective candidates for the Psyon Unit are usually drafted by the Directorate Military at a very young age. They are tested and given a Psyon Rating of one, two, or three. Psyons with a rating of three are considered weak. They may have minor psychic abilities such as being able to move small objects or hear the thoughts of those near to them while Psyons with a rating of one are immensely powerful psychics that can perform mystifying feats of psychic power including the levitation of large objects, the deflection of projectile and laser weapons, and the ability to bend light around themselves to become invisible. Psyons with a rating of one are incredibly rare and only a handful are documented with the Directorate. Psyons with a rating of two are far more common however, and can perform moderate feats of psychic power. Psyons who make it past the initial testing phase are subjected to extreme physical and mental conditioning. All are extremely competent marksmen and close combat fighters. Psyons are trained in the arts of stealth of infiltration. As the Psyon reaches physical maturity, the heightened activity in their brain waves often produces physical anomalies such as odd colored eyes or hair. All Psyons share what the rest of the military less than affectionately refers to as the Psyche Stare. Psyons have an odd manner about them and a tendency to stare for long periods without blinking. This is unnerving to many and only serves to add to the mystery of the Psyons. Wilders Spoiler While the Thirteen have invested tremendous time and resources into finding all prospective Psyons, some people are inevitably out of their reach. Whether hidden from the military draft by loved ones or simply on a world beyond the reach of Directorate Space, Wilders are those untrained that have slipped through the cracks. Where Psyons spend years training and learning to master their psychic abilities, Wilders tend to operate more on emotion without ever learning to truly control their abilities. Many are prone to random mood swings or emotional outbursts that can be the catalyst for devastating displays of power. For this reason, many Wilders end up killing themselves or those around them by the time they reach adolescence. Those few who do manage to survive, however, can become immensely power and dangerous. Due to the emotion based nature of the Wilders' power, each Wilder will often have a focus. i.e. a specific way of manifesting their psychic powers. Some might have power over flame or air currents, others may be able to manipulate light or gravity. Though not as diverse as a Psyon, the specialized and emotional nature can make the skilled Wilder into a force of nature. Note On Playing as a Psyon or Wilder I am intentionally leaving the use of psychic powers purely at the discretion of the player. I trust everyone to be reasonable. Everything has limitations and too much exertion of psychic power is probably bad for your brain. Just try and rationalize it for yourselves. If at any point anyone has questions about or is unsure of whether or not their Psyon or Wilder can do something, please ask. I'll be more than happy to help you guys out. Character Sheet Spoiler Name: Age: Weight: Height: Eye Color: Hair Color/Style: Home World: (Feel free to make one up) Personality: Attire: Weapons:(If any) Profession: Psyon RatingIf applicable, see Psyon section for information on ratings) Wilder Focus:(If applicable, see Wilder section for information on Focuses) Background: Game Rules Spoiler 1. Please obey all forum rules. 2. No flaming or general hate stuffs 3. Do not be disrespectful 4. Do not control another person's character without permission 5. Check the discussion thread if you have any concerns or questions. Chances are if you do so does someone else. 6. GM word is final. 7. Its a game. Have Fun. Character deaths will be posted in RED Mission Posts will be made in BLUE The story will be advanced via a series of Mission Posts. These will often include goals that the players must attempt to accomplish before the next Mission Post will be put up. Sometimes goals will be specific to individual players. Characters may sometimes be killed off. If this happens its purely for the sake of the narrative and not because I hate you. That being said, maybe no one will die. A lot of that is up to the players and will be discussed in PM prior to it happening.
Part I: Arrivals “We’ve got Station on the coms sir.” “Put ‘em through,” the old man barked. “Attention unmarked vessel, this is Zodiac Control. You are entering a restricted zone. Please state your identification number and business.” “Control this is Directorate vessel Icarus 54402-1. Our business is of a sensitive nature, request a switch to a secure channel.” Silence and static followed for a moment before the controller’s voice sounded back through. “Identification confirmed Icarus, switch to sec com three.” “Acknowledged control. Switching now.” Mason waited patiently as his pilot input the security codes for the com channel. Static buzzed through the speakers once more. “Go ahead Icarus.” “This is Master Gunnery Sergeant Callum Mason of the Directorate Marine Corps. We are here on the orders of Under-Director Tombs. We’ve got a Psyon on board.” There was a pause on the other end of the channel. “Confirmed Icarus. We’ve got you cleared for docking in Aries Platform bay seven. I’ll send the approach vectors.” The formality fell out of the controller’s voice. “Pretty big group just for a transport. Good luck guys, I wouldn’t want to be stuck on board with one of those spooks. Station out.” “Damn Guns!” Williams laughed as Mason turned away from the cockpit of the small vessel and faced his crew. “Why we got to be the ones to do this? Even Station knows this is whacked!” “What’s wrong Williams? You scared?” Byron taunted as he toyed with the barrel of his rifle. “Hell naw,” Williams replied, a hint of anger coming into his voice. “I ain’t scared of nothin’! Those guys just make me uneasy. I heard they go crazy sometimes, lose control.” “This whole thing stinks,” Piercy began. “Why are we even here? They haven’t told us a damn thing.” “I heard they can hear through walls,” Byron said before narrowly dodging a fist from Williams. “Stow it marines!” snapped Mason, though he had to admit that the presence of the Psyon did little to ease his nerves either. “We’re here because we were told to be here. I’m sure we’ll know more once we’ve docked. Woods, status?” “Approach vectors inputting now sir,” the pilot called back over his shoulder. “ETA fourteen minutes.” -~<>~- Stars drifted across the view screen one by one, like so many motes of dust. Each sparkling in time to its own unheard music. Scattered amongst those myriad points of light were, undoubtedly, a number of worlds not unlike the one now looming on the screen. Thakaj, it was called, and fittingly so. The word, derived from an ancient Earth dialect, meant ice. Zodiac station sat silently orbiting the pale blue and white mass and, while the Station was not small by any stretch of the imagination, it appeared as a mere speck against the backdrop of Thakaj. Asher watched in silence as the Icarus carried him ever closer to the Station. The psyon could feel the subtle rumble of the small ship’s thrusters vibrating his body, the strange pull of the synthetic gravity. He even even taste the bitter sweetness of the recycled air with every breath. He wondered for a moment if those in the cockpit could feel and taste the same. Asher inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, letting the breath out in a small but steady stream. He focused on that breath and cleared his thoughts, as he had been trained to do. He could hear his heart beating, quietly at first yet it grew until he could hear nothing else. Then, tentatively, he reached out with his mind, reached to the next cabin. Anger, apprehension, uncertainty. Such were the emotions he felt, anger at being on this ship, apprehension about what lay before them, uncertainty about Asher’s involvement. Asher could not blame them. Most marines out righted hated psyons, considered them dangerous and untrustworthy. It was, after all, human nature to fear what one could not understand. Soon the Zodiac Station loomed massive on the view screen and Asher turned to face the entrance to his chamber. The steel door slid open and Callum Mason stepped in. “Hello Sergeant.” Even the legendary Mason shifted uneasily under the psyon’s penetrating stare. “We hit the dock in ten minutes. Wanted to make sure you had all you gear in order.” -~<>~- “Of course Sergeant,” said the psyon in a soft spoken voice that was offset by the intensity in the pools of his green eyes. All psyons had eyes like, eyes that could seem to look into the very core of a man. Mason suppressed a shiver. “All right then, get it together and meet us in the next cabin by the time we dock.” Mason turned and left the room. As he stepped into the narrow hall that connected the two cabins and the doors slid shut behind him, the older soldier wondered if the psyon could hear his thoughts. The stories said that they could, though Mason was not a man to believe in such stories. Still, the prospect was enough to make a man’s hair stand up. The doors to the fore cabin slid open and he stepped in. His men were arrayed in a neat line near the port exit doors, each arrayed in the intimidating blue and gray armor for which the space marines were known. “Lieutenant?” Mason asked sharply. Williams snapped to attention. “We’re all ready sir.” --------------------------------------------- Mission Objectives -Show your character in his or her day to day life -Demonstrate something about your character’s background -Hear a rumor from someone about a Psyon arriving at the Station Psyon/Wilder Characters -You may sense the arrival of the Psyon faintly
Fear. Fear was everywhere. It was thick in the air, making it hard to breathe. Fear and shock. From her hiding place she watched the blood flow. She couldn't move. She wanted to shout at them, but her voice was gone. The crimson reached her. It was warm to her frozen fingers. The warmth spurred her into motion. She backed away as much as possible, until her back hit something hard. The blood caught up. It soaked her clothes. There was so much blood. It grew into a sea of red. More and more poured out of the dead bodies. Up to her waist now, still getting higher. Then it reached her head, seeping into her mouth and ears. Everything was crimson. Everything was fear. She woke up by the sound of voices. Her heart was razing and she was covered in cold sweat. She shook her head, bringing her fully back to the present. She was hidden beneath a wagon that had been standing still for months. All around her were people on their way to work or browsing wares. Nothing out of the ordinary. Something was wrong. A feeling of unease plagued her, but she couldn't seem to put her finger on it. She shrugged it of as just an emotion lingering from her fading nightmare. "-Wouldn't let my guard down though." Some guards was walking by her and she listened in on their conversation. "They say a Psyon arrived today. Say he came with-" The guards walked out of range. She wondered briefly what kind of Psyon they were talking about before heading out to beg for food. Her innocent but poor appearance easily fetching her breakfast.
The grinding of metal was what awoke her. Frowning before she opened one dark brown eye, Estelle glared at the laborer as he made his way into the cargo hold. Cramped as she was between two massive crates, he didn't even notice her tucked away in the shadows. Slipping outside and into the light, she cast around for her bearings, and was nearly spotted by a guard, but ducked into a group of workers who payed no attention to her whatsoever and avoided his notice. Her heart didn't pound in her ears, nor did she betray any sign of nervousness. Instead, her gaze was strangely blank as she made it out of the docks and into town just as another ship came to port. A chill ran over her spine suddenly, and she froze, eyes turning a blinding white as she turned her head to glance back. Psyon. Power rolled over her body in waves, making her spine tingle and her fingers twitch. Startled, her breath hitched, and her hair flickered silver before flashing back to dark brown. People around her jumped, eyes wide as they edged away. "Wilder . . . there's a Wilder too . . ." she heard the whispers. "First a Psyon, now a Wilder?" Estelles' eyes narrowed, and she gritted her teeth as she sent out a magnetic pulse outward from her body before dashing into a side alleyway. If the Psyon wanted to come out and play, they would know that their side in the game would not defeat her with ease.
Evans leant back on the metal crate that made his back support. A break from work as always appreciated, and especially when it was lunch-time. His lunch rations weren't much to brag about, but they were hot, and they were better than what many others had to eat. "I think that using a planar molecular engine connected to the internal binary systeam of an A-400 67 would be an improvement even if you consider the risks." The other mechanic named Larken said while gesticulating wildly. "In my opinion, a stationary Kashmir engine would be far better if you manage to place it right" Evans replied. "Just like the ones back in Starmist city ey? Are you sure they worked that well? You were only a kid then you know." "I'm completely sure." Evans thoughts went back to the rebellion for a moment. "Completely sure." "Guys! I've heard a rumor! Theres a psyon coming!" Herman, another mechanic, shouted while running on his stunt, fat legs. "SHHHHH! You shouldnt talk about things like that!" Larken said with a touch af panic. "Psyon you say? Fascinating! But we need to get back to work." Garan picked up his wrench and began walking to the nearest dismantled engine. He just hoped this psyon was "tamed".
The water boiled on the stove as Nina poured in the wheat and oat mixture into the pot. Nina was startled by the loud thump her brother Tyson made sitting down on the little make-shift chair at the table. "If that's that wheat meal crudder I'm not eating it," Ty grumbled, leaning his head on his arm. Nina rolled her eyes at him as she stirred the pot. "It's all we got." Nina smiled. "Well not for long I'm telling ya Nina. We are going to get out of this crudder place. I think the boss will give me a promotion soon. Someday we will be livin' it right up there with all the rest of the Quarter Two's." "You might be head of Mechanics?!" She exclaimed, turning a big grin in his direction. "Fek no!" He said, giving her a look. "Smugglin!" Nina frowned as she poured the wheat meal in fragile clay bowls. "I was hoping you would have meant your proper job and give up that shady business." Nina slid him a bowl. Ty shook his head. "That 'shady business' is what gives us this nice of a crudder place! If it wasn't for this do you think we would have as many things as we do with your Farming and my Mechanics? People here work twice as hard as we do and still live on the streets!" Nina sighed and focused on her breakfast. She knew perfectly well it was no use in arguing with him. Plus it would do no good if she got all worked up and had another episode. After all, he does what he does to protect her. Nina dropped her spoon and rubbed her eyes. She had an overwhelming feeling of despair. She has been feeling like this all morning but couldn't put her finger on it. Ty looked up at her. "What's wrong with you?" He said, cocking an eye brow at her. He knew full well what was wrong. She always got this way whenever they brought in a new Psyon. It was the whole reason why he didn't tell her that he knew about the Psyon coming in this morning. He was hoping that maybe by some freak chance she would not notice. She worries him by how sad she gets, not because she could start a fire, no that's easy enough tocover up but because he hated seeing her like that. "I-I think there is a Pyson here," she murmered into her hand, still rubbing her eyes. "I know" "You know?" "Yeah I heard it last night before I came home. Why do you think I'm still here this late in the morning? Docks are all closed. Got nothing to do 'cept work on some ships and they can wait," he said, finishing up his food and throwing the bowl in the washing bucket. "Why didn't you tell me?!" She was growing angry at him. Ty began to get worried. "Woah, hey. Calm down. I knew you would get like this. You get like this everytime a Psy-brain comes." "Don't call them that!" Anger filled her body. She hated that vulgar term for them. She especially hated hearing her ownbrother say it. He was better than that, just like he was better than a smuggler. She could feel herself heating up. Ty could see an onset of an episode, his eyes got wide."Ok. Sorry I know you hate that. I'm sorry. Calm down," he said getting up and going to her. "We need to help him!" She exclaimed, tears in her eyes. "Nina, we can't it's too risky." He crouched down beside her. "Just try! You have connections! Just find some stuff out about him." The table started to smoke. Nina always got like this when ever a new Pyson came in and if Ty wasn't careful it could get messy. He needed to calm her down and fast. "Look," he said. "The Pyson probably came voulentarily like the others." "How do you know?!? Just check, that's all I'm asking just check!" "Ok. I'll check, I'm not promising I'll find anything but I'll try okay. Now please try to stay calm." Nina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She foucused on calming her energy. Slowly it started to go away. She knew she was being silly. She knew after a little while she would be right as rain. Though she still couldn't shake the feeling off completely which was a bit odd. "Suppose I should get to work now and you too you'll be late. Come on I'll walk ya," Ty said heading towards the door. Nina opened her eyes and smirked at him. "Wouldn't it ruin your status walking your baby sister to work?" She stuck her tongue out at him. "Shaddup!" He said, playfully pushing her. Nina laughed as they both headed out the door.
"Well, well if it isn't Officer Pardosa come to mingle with the commoners," Threkk said. He was a small man who always seemed to be squinting, no matter how light it was. Standing behind his shop counter, he smiled. "You know, I just got some PleasureQubes in today and I think a few of them would do you some good." Jansen removed his helmet and sat it on the counter. "Peddling PleasureQubes Threkk? That seems a bit below your standards. The Threkk I remember once had a third-order royal scepter from Gratius. ZP couldn't even confiscate it because it didn't exist in any physical dimension." Threkk laughed and placed two dusty glasses on the counter and pulled out a bottle. "You know I got five-thousand credits for that thing! Set me up for months!" "Yeah and if I remember you also spent three weeks in containment on Aries." "Eh," Threkk shrugged his shoulders. "ZP interrogators are like little children, begging for candy. I did my time." "Well next time maybe I'll sit you down in a locked room, eh?" Jansen took a swig of the red liquid in the glass. "Seriously though, why the third-rate goods?" "What, the great Officer Jansen Pardosa doesn't know?" "Know what? And it's Lieutenant." "Oh, Lieutenant! Well, moving up in life, I see. Well, Lieutenant, they've shut down a large section of the docks for some top-secret military arrival." Jansen wasn't surprised that he didn't know about the military envoy. Working Q4 he was largely ignored by even his own superiors back on Aries platform. Even though they had begrudgingly promoted him, he was still on his own most of the time. His captain placed three officers underneath him, and they were all on permanent medical leave. Still, he enjoyed the rank and it gave him a few extra perks on the Z-Net and extra credits in his pockets. Jansen looked around and lowered his voice. "Threkk, what are they bringing in?" Threkk smiled and nudged two PleasureQubes across the counter. "Ya know, I'm not sure I've heard anything." "Some things never change, do they?" Jansen said as he slid his Ident Card in the battered reader. "A man still has to live, Pardosa, that will never change. I think I heard that a new Psyon is being brought in and from the looks of things, he's not your average Psy-brain. Walking time bomb, they said." "Thanks Threkk," Jansen said walking away. He tossed the two Qubes back at him. Threkk fumbled and caught both of them. "I prefer reality, no matter how bad it gets," Jansen said. Threkk smiled and waved. "You might change your mind if you stay around here long enough!" Jansen walked his way past the rows of sizzling meats and clothing shops, completely lost in thought. "Why would they be so interested in a powerful Psyon?" Jansen thought. "And more importantly, why haven't they found him before?" He reached a grav tube and swiped his card to head back to Aries. Perhaps he could find out more information there.
“This way officer Rycee be careful of the hydraulic fluid, damn thing has been leaking for weeks. Brandy sneered, and stepped over the puddle. Maintenance had gotten lax, did anyone bother to think about who could get hurt from messes like this? “Aries is going to the dogs,” Brandy muttered to herself. “It’s this one,” Brooks tapped his baton against numbers painted on a large metal pillar two men stood outside an automated staircase that had been butted against the open door of a ship. Brandy folded her arms over her chest and stared up at the ship. Brooks looked at her expectantly and Brandy sighed trudging up the steps and into the brightly lit corridor of the Vanderhardt. “Where’s the crew?” Brandy asked. “Local morgue, the captain’s daughter went postal.” Brandy rolled her eyes, the girl was probably wilder, and hopefully she was dead. “Know of any good orphanages Rycee,” Montgomery asked from in the cargo hold. Brandy sneered. “I should have let you drown in the swamp when you were nine. You deserved it you jumped up little weed.” Walking over to a stack of crates secured by steel ropes and pullies brandy took a small pen lazar from the inside pocket of her jacket and cut a small hole in a tarp peeling the plastic back to reveal the insignia of the stolen medical goods they had been looking for. “Surprise,” Brandy muttered. One corner of the case had worn away revealing small yellow granules that crumbled under Brandy’s fingers. “No wonder she went crazy,” Brandy muttered. “Oh did you hear Rycee there’s a new kid on the block, a pyson.” Brandy turned away from the crate watching Montgomery use his computer to evaluate the trajectory of blood spatter. “Yeah? How does I don’t give a damn sound to you?” she asked. “Sounds about right,” he replied. Brandy shook her head and held her hand out to Brooks letting him drop a small vial into her palm.
Tyson made his way into one of his biggest buyers shop carrying his bag of smuggled goods. "Ty, my man! What do you have for me today? Hope its better than those fekkin' PleasureQubes. You're killing me with those." Threkk said as Tyson made his way to the counter smiling. "What? You don't like my Qubes?" "Haven't sold a one!" "Maybe your not selling them right. Anyway, docks are open now and I got some great things for you." Threkk rubbed his hands together. "Show me, kid." Ty layed out 5 Zep-Guns and a dozen packs of Cig Delights. Threkk whistled. "Those are a beaut." "Yours for 1500 cred," Tyson said matter-of-factly. "1500 cred! Are you nuts kid?" Ty shrugged his shoulders. "Hey that's the friends discount I charged Norm over on Libra 2000. Take it or leave it, won't break my heart." Threkk looked at Ty and grunted. "You're gunna be the death of me kid. You know that?" Ty took the creds from him and slipped it in the bag. Ty pulled out a pack of his own Cig Delights. "Just business," Ty said handing Threkk a cig and lighting for him. "Thanks. Guess your right. Say you wouldn't have any Officers on your tail?" Ty lit his own Cig and took a puff. "Dunno. Why ya ask?" "Had an officer, Lieutenant now. Knew him way back, anyway he was poking around here. Thought maybe he was lookin for you," Threkk said raising his eyebrows. "What's his name?" Ty took another drag. "Pardosa." "Never heard of him. I wouldn't worry about it. Just another porker lookin to bust a smugg." "Yeah maybe." Threkk trailed puffing on his own cig. Ty stared at Threkk. "You didn't tell him about me Threkk. Did ya?" Threkk looked startled. "Hey... Now... Ty, you know me... I... I aint no snitch." "If you know what's good for you, you better not be." Ty leaned in close to Threkk and said in a hushed tone. "Because if I even get a wiff of that porker on my tail...you're history." Ty leaned back and put out his Cig Delight. "Ty, you don't have to worry about that. I wouldn't do that to you or to Nina you guys are family to me. Last thing you guys need is a run-in with the law." Ty grunted at him and nodded. "I'm just saying." "Woo-boy, these cig delights you have here are perfect. I can sell them for double," Threkk said putting his out. Ty smiled. "I told ya. I only carry the best. Uhh, hey you wouldn't know any info on that Psy-brain would ya?" "Only that he's dangerous. Why you wanna know?" Ty shrugged. "Just wonderin'." "Well if I hear anything I'll let you know." "Thanks. See ya next week."
With a considerable measure of concentration which only manifested in a brief narrowing of her eyes, Abra placed her hand onto the slice of bread. Lifting her hand to inspect the result of her effort, she smiled – the imprint was a perfect outline, earlier attempts had been well done to say the least, two shades off cremated if her memory wandered over the unstable ground of the morning’s comments from her parents regarding her activities - and held it up to show the man sliding onto the bench opposite – a show off hi as he sat down. Sam made a good impression of disapproval; furrowing eyebrows, pursed lips. “Now, there’s been a food shortage in case you haven’t been informed, Miss Salson.” “Not at my house, we just grow more.” Abra made the bread dance from corner to corner, so that the hand waved, and then abruptly dropped the piece of bread and pushed the plate away. “Couldn’t eat another bite.” Sam picked it up and bit. “Not everyone eats so well,” he said, unusually serious. He chewed, looking thoughtful. “But this one actually needed an extra few seconds.” She held out her hand and he chuckled, holding it out of reach. “Oh no, I am hungry. Genuinely. I’ve been up all night.” “Why?” “Hm?” He nibbled around the imprint. “Oh, our shipment was cancelled.” “What?” she said, irritated now, sitting up from her slouch. “Why?” “If anyone should be upset, it should be me - this was my investment,” he said, amused, and then continued, “a more exotic import is parking at our bay.” Seeing her interest, his eyes, a milky cream colour barely distinguishable as an iris, gleamed briefly. “A psyon. You can’t steal that.” “You can’t steal that,” Abra retorted, and then reached out and broke off a piece of the bread. Truth was, she was hungry, and being away from her family and speaking to Sam had cooled her down enough to remind her of her appetite. “I thought we could go and investigate anyway…” Sam looked over his shoulder, watching the busy world go by them. “If my father finds out he’ll bust a gut.” Sam grinned wickedly. “I thought you’d be interested. I heard this psyon is a big deal. Something interesting.” He popped the last bit of bread in his mouth. “Employer-employee bonding exercise.” He stood, looking down at her with amusement. “Come on, what else do you have to do?” Abra scowled, but then stood. “This had better be interesting.” "Or what - you'll quit?" he laughed.
The sun had been steadily marching past its zenith on the simulated skyscape above Aries platform for the past hour. Zodaic Station was much too far out from the system's sun, a medium blue, to have the luxury of natural light – and those in charge seemed to think it was unhealthy for people to stare out into the vacuum of empty space for prolonged periods of time. Perhaps it was true. Stories had circulated for a time of soldiers coming down with so called “star madness”. Perhaps it was only because he had spent all his life among those stars, only going planet side for brief stints, that Mason had grown to prefer them. The sergeant's thoughts turned once again to their mysterious passenger as the hover tram that had greeted them upon arrival whirred along its automated route to the Directorate Command Center. He couldn't help but wonder why such highly trained and qualified individuals as themselves had been assigned to this simple escort mission. Command must have not been allowing any room for error, which meant that the psy-brain had to be the real deal – something special. He knew it made his men just as skittish as it made him. None of them had so much as uttered a word since filing onto the narrow tram platform. Mason had read the man's file. There had been little enough information even with his clearance level. Just about everything except his name, Asher Nassar, had been so classified that his requests for clearence from command had been almost laughingly rejected. Even that probably wasn't his real name. A shadow fell over the tram as an artificial cloud passed in front of the sun and Mason's gaze wandered to where Asher stood at the rear of the tram, hands on the rails as he looked out over the base. He seemed young to Mason, perhaps in his late twenties, but then again everyone was young to him. He looked strong too. Lean muscle showed through form fitting blue and gray material of his uniform. The Psyon half turned and cast a glance at the sergeant. For a moment those green eyes, hanging like orbs of glass set in the marble of his skin, held his gaze unblinkingly. Mason quickly turned away. “How long till we get to Command?” Mason barked. “The tram will arrive at destination in 16 minutes,” the computerized voice said over the tram's speakers in soft tones. “Thank you for your patience.” Mason looked at Williams, Piercy, Byron, and Woods in turn. From the looks on their faces they were just as excited about the next sixteen minutes as he was. The cloud passed away and artificial sunlight washed over them again. Mason leaned back and closed his eyes. At least the weather is always nice here, he thought. -~<>~- There was one thing every member of the Jain family had in common, and that was the ability to take a disaster and turn it into profit. Some might say that the Jains took advantage of people or skewed certain facts to their favor, but history is written by the victors and if the Jains were anything, they were certainly vicotrious. Three generations ago, during the height of the old Empire, JainCorp had made a name for itself manufacturing and selling small drilling vessels to the asteroid mining companies. Now, even having endured the hardships of the tragic events that had wracked the galaxy, JainCorp stood as the single largest megacorporation in all human space. Almost all civilian and and commercial spacecraft were manufactured in a JainCorp shipyard. Even most military vessels were based on designs purchased from the company. It hadn't been easy for the Jains, namely Astin, to turn this company into the biggest one there was. One thing had been key; information. Information was key to any transaction and those who had more of it invariably came out on top. Unknowns could not be tolerated, not even for an instant. That was why Astin did not like the rumors he had been hearing for the past couple of weeks. The young entrepreneur stood peering out from his high vantage point over Capricorn platform absently stirring the ice around in his small glass of bourbon. His face was all hard angles and sharpness that, when combined with his predatory golden brown eyes and his slightly hooked nose, gave the man the appearance of a bird of prey. “Sir?” buzzed a female voice over the coms in his office. “Yes Ellen, go ahead and send him up.” No, unknowns could not be tolerated. This psyon that had arrived was just that. Their sort rarely visited the station and every time it meant something bad for business. That demoness of a woman named Janick Tombs was hiding something and Astin wanted to know what it was. That is what had prompted him to hire a professional in such matters. The doors to Astin's dimly lit office slid open with a whisper and he turned to face the new occupant. Before him stood a man, garbed in a very nice black and gray business suit, whose face was obscured by strange flows a blur-mask. He carried a thin brief case in his right hand, gloved just as the left was. Astin stepped up to his desk. “Ah! I'm glad to see you arrived safely. You'll have to forgive me for the lack of accommodations. Its not easy getting someone like you past security. I trust your flight wasn't too bad?” “My accommodations were adequate. Where will I be staying and when do I begin?” asked the masked man, his voice distorted by the oscillations of the blur-mask. “Straight to business, I like it! I've arranged a suite for you at one of my locations here on the platform. I've already had the requisite information offloaded to the terminal you will find there. You may begin right away – And remember, don't get caught.” The features of the blur-mask twisted into what might have been a smile. “They'll never even know I was here.” -~<>~- Asher watched the features of the station slide by as the tram made its way to command. He could see people, soldiers most likely, making their way to and from whatever it was soldiers did here. The Psyon could even hear snippets of thoughts as they passed by. Most were focused on their current tasks or what they would be doing that night. As they passed the Station Police barracks, Asher briefly touched on a mind that seemed to be receiving calls about Wilder activity on the station. A Wilder on the station could do some serious damage. They were prone to fits of rage and other violent extremes. If one were powerful enough...well there wasn't really much separating the innards of the station from the harshness of the vacuum beyond. “Zodiac Command Center,” said the soft voice of the tram as it drifted to a smooth stop before the massive building that served as the brain of military operations on the station. As he followed the soldiers off and began making his way toward the Center he felt a terrible psychic pulse that rocked him to his very core. So strong was that pulse that he quite literally fell back and had to brace himself against the side of the tram for a moment. Mason paused and looked nervously at Asher, as did the rest of the soldiers. “You alright kid?” Asher turned and stared off in the direction of the Gemini platform. Yes, he was sure it had come from there. But what could have possibly generated such a wave? Slowly, Asher steadied himself and attempted to regain his composure. “Yes...yes I'm fine Sergeant. I think we should be going. The director will be waiting.” When the group finally resumed course, Asher peered once more in the direction from which the pulse had come. What worried him the most was that it couldn't have just been random energy bursts, though those sometimes did happen. No, it had to have come from something alive for the pulse had been accompanied by a single thought...Death. Objectives Pick three of the following: -Overcome a difficult task -Meet with another player character -Receive a minor injury -accidentally hurt a friend -uncover a plot -see something strange -get promoted(military) -get demoted(military) -have a mental or emotional breakdown -become involved in a chase -your character is haunted by visions of another time and place -Your character is reminded of a happy time -Your character overhears a military commander talking about secret stuff -Your character sees something that causes him/her to doubt his/her beliefs Keitsu/Estelle Station Police are now looking for a wilder matching your description. Psyon/Wilder characters You feel a horribly powerful psychic pulse that seems to originate from the Gemini Platform. The pulse is accompanied by a single thought. Death! This is the best part. WORD LIMIT Minimum: 500 ((Try and collaborate on some of these especially if you are going to be running into any other player characters. Use the discussion thread to your advantage! Nothing better than some nice long posts!))
They really don't know what they're doing do they? Estelle thought dully as she watched the next Policeman stride down the alleyway below her. They never thought to look up of all things, and it was beginning to annoy her really. Yawning, she stretched her arms lazilly, glancing behind her towards the endless stretch of grey buildings before an ink-black sky dotted with stars took over. Another second and the fake sky flicked back in place, causing a frown to crease her otherwise emotionless face. She liked the stars. Why wouldn't they just let nature be what it was? Always covering things up... The momentary flash of anger had a chunk of cement suddenly cracking, then caving in on itself until it turned into a tiny ball. Still, its mass was the same, and if she wanted to she could just drop it onto the policeman's head and kill him with nothing more than a tiny sphere. So much power at her fingertips, it could prove intoxicating to others, but she quickly reigned in her emotions before anything else happened. Won't let it happen again.... * * * "Estelle!" the familiar voice called from the doorway of her bedroom. "Honey? Are you alright? Those boys didn't hurt you again did they?" Estelle sniffled, curling up further into a ball beneath her bed, tear-streaks marring her face while she watched one of her toys be crushed and then expanded over and over again before her glazed, sightless eyes. "Estelle?" her mother crouched at the end of the bed now, looking at her with the face of what many had said was a mirror image of herself. "Oh honey . . ." "They keep calling me a freak," Estelle gasped, the toy growing and contracting even more furiously now. "They say that if I don't become a Psyon, I'll go mad and kill myself. I don't wanna be a Psyon! They're scary!" "Estelle, don't listen to them. You don't have to be a Psyon if you don't want to. That's why your father and I hid you when they came to collect you. We won't let you do anything that you don't want to do yourself. You'll be fine-" "NO I WON'T!" the scream was torn from her like the howl from a wolf, a high, keening wail that was drowned out by the explosion of her own power. Now the toy contracted into a tiny pinprick dot. The beginnings of a black hole. * * * "I won't!" she yelled as she came out of the vision, pounding her fist into the cement. Then she froze as a shout came from below: "Hello!? Identify yourself!" the policeman had halted, looking about wildly, and Estelle stood up, her shadow giving her hiding place away. Stammering, the man grabbed for his gun and aimed it at her, "The Wilder! Get down here before I shoot, i mean it!" Not unless I'm forced. Rage consumed Estelle, and her eyes glowed before turning from dark brown to white, her hair following suit from its normally chocolate curls into silvery strands that flowed all the way down her back. The edges of the building cracked, and there was a scream of alarm from the tenant below. But she felt nothing for them. They would never leave her alone! If they'd just left her alone she wouldn't be like this! Wouldn't be a Wilder. Wouldn't be a murderer. "Why should I?" she hissed, her hair fluttering about her face as if in a gale. Stepping off of the edge, she floated in mid-air for several seconds before slowly descending, for gravity no longer had a hold on her. She was the one who had a hold on it. The Policeman backed up several paces, and she paid hardly any attention to him even when he called for backup. her fury was all that she knew, all that she saw -tiny red dots bursting in her vision like stars. Her body quavered on the edge of releasing her wrath, wreaking destruction all around her. And yet she reigned it in. The Policeman shouted one more warning at her, drawing her out of her reverie, and she blinked, realizing that she had slowly been walking towards him, the very ground cracking beneath her feet. While she was currently unaffected by gravity, the area around her would feel multiple times the usual. Such was her power, and such was only one of her abilities. Death . . . the malevolent thought struck her mind before she could react, and suddenly her own power fluxed, her gravitational shield breaking. Hit as if by a boulder, she was flung to one side and slammed into the wall of the alley. She gasped, pushing herself up and shuddering violently. What was that!? "I warned you!" the shout had her head snapping around just as a blast of pain radiated from her shoulder. Hissing in pain, the girl sprang high into the air, just managing to regain control of her anti-gravity shield as another laser was fired. The beam hovered in mid-air just an inch from her face, then was flung back at the man with triple the force of when it had been fired, zapping him and flinging him twenty feet across the cement. "You've heard of black holes, but what about the Repellant stars?" she gritted, clutching her arm. The man sat up and his eyes widened. No ship could go near a repellant star -they were always pushed away by the force of the anti-gravity emanating from them. A faint, evil smile came to her face when he finally made the connection. She could choose to repel, or attract objects using herself as the gravitational core. Well, that was all he would learn -she'd taught him a lesson, and despite her injury she wasn't in the mood to kill him. Already there were too many deaths on her hands, and each one ate at her sanity. No, let him live. She thought, then turned away and fled. Yet the stupid man yelled for backup yet again and pursued her.
Jansen walked into Zodiac Police Headquarters and took in the vast space filled with the indistinct chatter and rings of police activity. He really did enjoy working law enforcement even though most of his peers ignored him. Sitting down at his desk, he pulled up the latest information on Z-Net. He typed into the command prompt. COMMAND>MILITARY TRANSPORT The terminal beeped for a second and then a message flashed on the screen. IMPROPER CLEARANCE He tried again. COMMAND>PSYON ACTIVITY A map of Q4 popped up on the screen along with the message, ‘NO PSYON ACTIVITY REPORTED IN YOUR JURISDICTION.’ He knew that already, the only thing you’d find in Q4 were a handful of refugee wilders hiding out from the military. COMMAND>EXTEND RANGE – ZODIAC STATION A larger map of the whole station popped up and Jansen pressed his finger on the platform labeled, ‘Gemini.’ IMPROPER CLEARANCE. He leaned in closer to the screen and jammed his finger against the platform labeled, ‘Aries.’ IMPROPER CLEARANCE. Another message flashed across the screen: PARDOSA, JANSEN; YOU HAVE ATTEMPTED TOO MANY UNATHORIZED REQUESTS AND A REPORT HAS BEEN GENERATED. SPEAK WITH YOUR SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY. “Like hell I will,” muttered Jansen at the computer. It was getting later on in the day and Jansen just couldn’t shake the feeling that something weird was going on. On the far end of Aries was a small kitchen that is used as a bar at night. All the military recruits and grunts would be drinking and getting into fights. The local police usually didn’t fraternize with the military, but this was the place where all Aries went to drink away the stress or monotony. Perhaps he could find out some more information there. Jansen grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, weaving between computer terminals and small gray desks. Just before he reached the door, someone blocked his path. It was Officer Ray Mitrata, a largely overweight, greasy man who, with his partner Graven spent most of their days patrolling Q2. Everyone knew that they were in the take with the higher ups at Jain Corp and they spent most all of their time on Capricorn Platform, occasionally arresting a Jain employee that had been fired and was immediately charged with trespassing. “Pardosa,” said Mitrata. “How’s Q4 doin’ these days? Catch anybody stealing someone else’s garbage?” “If you’re looking for garbage Mitrata,” said Jansen, plopping down in an empty chair, “why don’t you look over at Capricorn Platform? They all wear suits, so it should be easy for you to spot them.” Mitrata sneered. “Well, speaking of taking out the garbage,” he said smiling, “Captain wants to see you in his office right now.” “Oh yeah? Well that’s great,” said Jansen hopping up from his chair and straightening Mitrata’s badge. “Probably wants to give me another promotion. In fact, maybe in a few minutes you’ll be calling me Captain Pardosa.” Mitrata glared at him. “Your promotion was a fluke, Pardosa, and one of these days your little ‘playground’ in Q4 is gonna be brought back in line by actual officers.” “Keep up the positive attitude, Ray,” he said as he walked toward the captains’ office. He could hear Mitrata grumbling as he returned to his desk. He was usually a prickly person but today he seemed extra thorny. Captain Reynolds office was at the far end of the room. He was an older man that had put thirty years into policing the Zodiac and always seemed like he was one more incident away from retirement. Jansen noticed the windows to his office had been darkened but the door was cracked open slightly. He could hear talking inside. “…issue is that I just don’t have the manpower to sustain this. Colonel, you can’t keep pulling my men up like this.” Jansen couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but Captain Reynolds was pacing the floor. “Yes sir, I understand.” More pacing. “Well, with all due respect I will speak with Tombs myself, Colonel.” Jansen heard the comm-link click and Reynolds sat in his chair and wiped his brow. Jansen knocked on the door. “Officer Pardosa, come in,” he said, “I see you've been flagged for unauthorized access. Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass you are?” Jansen learned over the years that it was best just to let the Captain get his frustration out and keep quiet but today he had some questions that needed some answers. “Captain, what’s going on with this new Psyon?” asked Jansen. Captain Reynolds looked around nervously, as if someone was watching him. “Pardosa, leave it alone. Your clearance doesn’t come close to knowing about that and I should write you up just for talking about it.” “Yeah but this Psyon is different somehow, isn’t it?” “I can’t discuss this with you and it seems you know just about as much as I do anyways, so my suggestion is to forget about it. It’s the military’s pet and as long as they keep it locked away, I don’t care and until it shows up in the slums of Scorpio platform you shouldn’t care either.” “So we just ignore it then? Let the military brass run roughshod over us?” “We do our jobs, Jansen, that’s all we can do. That’s why I called you in here; I have something I need you to do for me.” “For you, or for them?” Jansen motioned out the window to the military command building. “As you know," he began, ignoring Jansen's snarkiness. "The smugglers have been growing defiant lately and word on the street is that they are becoming organized. Supposedly they have a command structure and while we don't know who sits at the top, we have some information on a middle man and we need you to go pick him up.” “Who is he?” “His name is Tyson Epolipse and he lives with his sister down in Q4. During the day he works as a mechanic at the docks, but we have intel that he is running some of the smuggling operations on Libra.” “I know that area. It's all just petty crooks hopped up on tech-meds, no one takes them seriously." "Well we are now officially taking them seriously." "Alright, I'll pick him up then, no problem." Jansen stood up and headed for the door. “We’re not sure how dangerous this man is so I want you to have some backup. I’ve assigned Officer Mitrata to go with you.” Jansen spun on his heels and walked to the Captains desk. “Mitrata? He’s never stepped a foot in Q4 and I don’t need him, sir.” Jansen hoped he could change the Captains mind. Just the thought of being partnered up with Mitrata made his stomach lurch. “He’s a capable officer and will back you up in case things go south. As much as you’re a thorn in my side, Pardosa, the paperwork for your death would be worse.” “What about Graven?” “Graven was called up yesterday. I'm really running a skeleton crew around here lately.” Jansen took a small amount of pleasure knowing that Graven had been promoted to the military and Mitrata was still stuck here. It also explained why Mitrata was in such a sour mood. They had been partners for over fifteen years. Still, he wondered about the phone conversation and why the military was filling their ranks with Zodiac Police. “So," Reynolds continued, "you two go get Epolipse and bring him back here alive. Now get the hell out of my office, Mitrata’s waiting for you.”
Seemed like all Nina did lately was work and cook. She stirred the stew on the stove a few times before rolling her shoulders trying to work the kinks out of her sore muscles. It was a long day but at least she had food on her stove to show for it. Ty came trudging through the door holding some papers. “What’s that you got?” Nina asked, going over to look at them. “Shipments of goods due to come in,” Ty said flipping through the papers. Nina shrugged. “How was your day?” “Eh. Same. Dropped off some goods, got paid. Couldn’t find out anything about that Psyb-, I mean Psyon, but I did find out that there is a porker sniffing around here.” Ty sifted through his papers as if this news didn’t matter. Nina shot him a look. They do not need cops on their tail now. “Ty, are you in trouble?” “Don’t think so,” Ty said giving her a smile. “We just have to keep our heads down just in case. No need to worry.” Nina turned back to dinner when suddenly, she felt a psychic pulse so powerful and overwhelming that she fell to her knees. She could feel where it was coming from …Gemini. This has never happened to her before. She could never feel where these pulses were coming from. “Nina!” Ty shouted as he came over to her. Then suddenly, Nina felt death. The world seemed to stop as darkness surrounded her. Death was something she feared more than anything and she just couldn’t contain herself. She let out a blood curdling scream and the kitchen table caught on fire. Nina sobbed. “Fek!” Ty shouted as he quickly grabbed buckets of water to put the fire out. He’d never seen her like this, but he had a good idea what it was from. That Psy-brain has had Nina all out of sorts since it arrived. He was going to make it his job to find out everything about it. Ty got the fire out and went over to Nina, who was still sobbing uncontrollably. “Nina," he said. What the heck happen?” He put his arm around her shoulders. Nina took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. “I felt this pulse…and then…” Nina started to sob again. “Death.” Ty rubbed his face with his hand and sighed. “Nina, I never want to know what it’s like in your head,” he teased, ruffling her hair. Nina tried to force a smile but was still crying. “Hey,” said Ty, “remember that day Mom and Dad took us to the junk yard? And we made little toy cars out of the things we could find?” Nina wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Yeah.” “And when we finished them we raced them down the hill. Remember how mad you got when I won?” Nina snorted at him. “No, I won and you got mad.” “No, I’m pretty sure you threw the tantrum.” “No! You were yelling at me saying I cheated because Dad helped me build it!” Ty smiled and Nina laughed. “Remember the picnic Mom packed and how delicious it was even though it wasn’t much,” Nina said. “Yeah, they always knew how to make something out of nothing.” Ty sighed as they sat in silence for a little while thinking about their parents. They never let being poor drag them down. They always had something fun planned and always made the best out of every situation. “Well come on that’s enough sentimental stuff for you, or you might just burn the house down,” Ty said, getting up and sitting down at the table trying to avoid getting his papers wet. Nina rolled her eyes and went back to the stew.
Jansen walked down the alley with Officer Mitrata close behind him. He knew these neighborhoods, mostly poor immigrants barely scraping by. Sometimes twelve people would all be living in the same unit. The thin line between contentment and ruin was just a part of life everyone around here walked every day. “This is the place,” Jansen said. “You think he’s here?” “Yeah, most of these smugglers work day jobs and then come home for food. He’ll be here.” Jansen stopped outside the gray metal door and nodded at his partner. Mitrata nodded back. Jansen slammed on with his fist, scaring some rats from their hiding places in a nearby recycling container. “This is the Zodiac Police,” said Jansen. “Open the door. You have thirty seconds to comply before we override the door.” They waited and listened for any signs of activity, both with their hands placed firmly on their pistols.
“Awww, fek,” Ty said, looking over to Nina. Her eyes were full of panic. “He’s in trouble, we’re caught…I’m caught” Nina thought. She kept glancing at the table that’s evidence right there. How could they explain that? A fire nowhere near the stove? They were dead meat. “Stay calm,” he told her, “and don’t keep looking at the table. You look guilty.” Ty started toward the door. Staying calm was easy for him to say but she knew he was panicking as much as she was. They knew if one of them saw that she was a wilder it was over for both of them. Ty wouldn’t let that happen “Override it? The doors made of tin. All you have to is look at it the wrong way and it will fall off.” He opened the door. “Waddya want porker?”
A young man with a scowl on his face stepped into the doorway. Jansen noticed how young he looked and wondered how long he had been without parents. He couldn’t have been more than twenty years old. The only thing that gave away his rough lifestyle was the scar he had on the side of his face, and the obvious look of contempt he was giving them right now. “Who you callin’ a porker, you worthless slumbag.” Mitrata started toward the door but Jansen held out his hand to stop him. He turned back to the man in the doorway. “Are you Tyson Epolipse?” asked Jansen.
Tyson gave the officer a look up and down. “Yeah? Is there a problem?” Tyson said folding his arms. Nina held her breath. He really should be nicer to them. Maybe if he was nicer they would leave them alone. She must stay calm. She focused on her breathing. Nice, even breaths. Tyson stared at the officers. He wouldn’t let anything happen to them. He was prepared to do whatever he had too.
“We need you to come with us,” Jansen said. “Just join us over on Aries for a bit. We wanna ask you a few questions.” He could tell that the young man was getting nervous and Jansen knew Mitrata noticed it too. However, it was too late for Jansen to react. Before Tyson could speak, Mitrata pushed past Jansen and grabbed Tyson by his neck, pushing him into the unit. “What are you hiding in here you little pisser!” Mitrata shouted. “Mitrata!” Jansen responded. “That’s enough!” Mitrata’s anger turned to some kind of sadistic pleasure as a smile crept over his face. “What’s the matter Pardosa,” he sneered, “you got a crankshaft for these slumbags? I think you been hanging around this quarter too long.” He tightened his grip on the man’s neck. It was then that Jansen saw a girl sitting at a wooden table in the center of the room. The whole place was dimly lit and smelled like burnt toast. Jansen could see the girl was shaking with fear. He felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach and he wasn’t sure if it was from the smell in the unit or the look on the young girls face. He grabbed Mitrata by his collar and threw him to the ground. He came to rest at the foot of the table. “I said that’s enough, Mitrata.” Mitrata noticed the young woman at the table. He slowly stood to his feet and loomed over her. “Pardosa,” Mitrata said slowly. “Let me show you how we do things on Aries.”
Nina looked up at the man towering before her. She didn’t like the way he looked at her. She silently prayed for him to leave her alone. “Touch her and your dead Porker!” Ty said walking over and turning Mitrata to face him. “Get your cruder hands off me, slumbag,” Mitrata said shoving Ty off of him. “Your business is with me, not her.” “Well maybe she is my business. She could be your accomplice,” Mitrata said. Ty felt rage come over him. He knew what that dirtbag porker had in mind for Nina and he’d be damned if Mitrata gets anywhere near her. He grabbed Mitrata by the collar and pulled him up close to his face. “You have no idea what I am capable of. Tread lightly,” Ty hissed as he pulled his fist back ready to strike him.
Jansen plowed into Tyson, knocking him into the far wall. Canisters and silverware crashed to the floor. Tyson tried to punch him but couldn’t get his weight behind it and Jansen deflected the punch, using Ty’s momentum to spin him around and pin him against the wall. In one swift movement, Jansen retrieved his wrist restraints and placed them on Tyson. They made the usual ‘beep beep’ sound which meant they were auto-fitted and locked. Jansen shoved Tyson to the ground and turned toward Mitrata. He couldn’t deal with both Tyson and Mitrata at the same time. Mitrata had returned to the girl and had a firm grip on her long, brown hair which had been ripped out of its neat bun. She screamed. “Look at this Pardosa,” Mitrata said, smelling her hair. “This is what we call ‘perks of the job.’” He pulled out his knife and slowly moved it around her face and neck. “These people are nothing. The Psy-brains at least got some use but these vagrants crudding up Zodiac. Well, they are better off recycled one way or the other.”
“I’m going to kill you! You hear me?” Ty yelled, thrashing on the ground. His blood was boiling. He couldn’t sit there and watch. Nina looked over at Jansen pleading with her eyes. ‘Please make him let me go, please.’ “Do what you have to do Nina,” Ty said. “No!” She couldn’t do that even though she felt her body heating up. She couldn’t, it would just cause a big mess like the orphanage. They would just have to run again, she was tired of running. Mitrata will be stopped she knew she would try to fight him off herself without her abilities.
Jansen stepped toward him. “No, Mitrata. Let her go, man. This aint right.” Mitrata laughed and stomped his feet. “Right?! Aint nothin’ in this whole universe right Pardosa. It’s only a matter of time before this station and the planet she orbits get blacked out. Why else do you think the military is beefing up their ranks and hauling in every psyon in the quadrant? So leave if you want, but I’m gonna get mine while I can.” He pulled her hair more and forced her head to jerk back violently. He lowered his face down to meet hers but Jansen lunged at him and tried to grab his knife but he wasn’t fast enough. The blade sunk into his shoulder and he let out a scream. Jansen smashed his hand against a cabinet, sending the bloody knife skittering across the floor. He was stronger than Mitrata and was able to throw him across the room, smashing his head on the hot stove. Blood began to run from a large gash in his head as he screamed in pain. “Damn you Pardosa!” he yelled. “You slumbag-loving pisser!” Slowly rising to his feet he reached for his pistol. It was halfway out of its holster when Jansen’s laser ripped through Mitrata’s arm. He screamed again and ran for the door holding his arm. Jansen ran to the door and caught a glimpse of Mitrata disappearing down the alley. He collapsed to his knees, holding his shoulder and panting.
Nina got up to her feet, still shaken by everything. “Nina, are you ok?” Ty asked looking up at her. Nina nodded and went over to Jansen. “Nina!” Ty shouted. “What are you doing get away from him.” “Are you ok?” Nina asked Jansen. He looked up at her and Nina noticed his arm. “Let me get you a towel for your arm.” Nina stood up to fetch a towel. “Nina, grab the remote and throw him out!” Ty insisted. “Don’t nurse him. Look what they almost did to you.” “He didn’t do anything but help us, Ty. Be grateful,” Nina said as she placed the towel on Jansen’s arm and held it tight. She could see the kindness in Jansen’s eyes she could tell he wasn’t a bad guy just trying to do his job. “Grateful! Are you crazy? Leave the porker to die!” Ty said still thrashing on the ground. “Ty you’re upsetting me.” Ty groaned. “You’re kidding me… Fine, fine do what you gotta do.”
