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Post by Lady Christianna on May 14, 2015 14:06:32 GMT
It didn't take long for Sandy, Lady's EGO psyche, to figure out she was back in the blackness of Lady Christianna's EGO implant, but a little longer to figure out who the little girl was. The girl looked to be an Irathient of about five years old surrounded by a green nimbus light, with spikey green hair and electric blue eyes. Those features weren't what struck Sandy most however: It was the girl's smile! "It looks so damn mischievous," Thought Sandy to herself, "Her smile isn't just mysterious like Lady's, but more like you know that she is up to something, but don't know what, and not sure you want to know!" Outwardly, Sandy remained calm and said, "I assume your are Lady and Atticus' kid, so what can I call you and what do you want?" The little girl frowned as she smoothed out imaginary wrinkles from her pretty green party dress, "Hmm, good question Auntie Sandy! I guess you can call me... Minx! At least until my rents name me! The name just came to me, don't know why! And what I want is... a tea party!" Suddenly a bright white spotlight appeared focusing on a small round table with flowered teacups and a teapot upon it, and four small chairs, two of them occupied by large stuffed animals. One of the stuffed toys was a golden hell bug, the other a Grid doll, and each had a flowered tea cup in front of it. Sandy was surprised but didn't show it when she found herself not only in her black party dress, but also shrunk to approximately four feet - the exact height of Minx. Minx smoothed out her green skirt as she sat down ladylike at the table then said with a smile, "Please join us at the table Sandy! This is Timothy Toothsome, and that is Mr. S," Minx gestured first to the toy hell bug with one small red clay colored hand, then to the toy Grid with the other, then putting it to the side of her mouth as she made a dramatic aside as if to reveal a secret, "Although I call him Mr. Grumpy Buns sometimes!" Sandy sat down comfortably, then replied a bit awkwardly, "Nice to meet you - all of you. Umm... you know, if you wanted me to come to your tea party, I would have loved to come later, but... I was kind of in the middle of something awfully damn important to me. It's not very nice to just pluck somebody out from what they were doing to make them do what you want them to do!" "But it's a NICE tea party," Said Minx with a pout, so reminiscent of her mother's, "And the rents were all lovey-dovey and I was so bored! My brother is so stupid! All he wants to talk about is how when he gets out he is going to take over the world, and straighten it out! New World Order this and New World Order that and blah-blah! Booooorinnnng! I just want to have fun! And then some more fun!" "That's all well and good but Volodja - ," Began Sandy before Minx cut her off, "Oh, you'll have to give him up!" Said Minx, determination in her childish voice, "You won't have time for him, now that I'm here! Your new chief duty is to entertain me!" Sandy stood up so fast her small chair toppled backwards, anger clearly in her tone, as she stated as fact, "Listen brat, I'm not here just for your pleasure! You are NOT the center of the damn world! I will keep you, your brother, and your mother as healthy and safe as I can, but I have a life outside of that, limited as it may be! I love Volodja with all my heart, and he is the CENTER of that life, whether you like it or not! I don't mind being your friend, even your playmate at times, but you have to ask first, and you have to respect me enough to leave me be if I say no, I'm busy at the moment!" Minx glared at her, her electric blue eyes crackling with energy, with her lower lip stuck out in obvious anger, making Sandy think, "Hell, maybe I was a little too strong in the way I said that, but damnation, Volodja and I get so little damn time together as it is and, shit, I don't know how to deal with kids, I'm a damn grunt not a mother! I kill things, I don't nurture them!" Then Minx's lower lip began to quiver as her eyes ceased their electric discharge and tears began to flow instead, "I'm s-s-s-sorry Auntie! I just wanted to have f-f-f-fun! I w-w-w-won't do it again! N-n-n-no more tea parties! Ever! I promise! Just p-p-p-please be my friend! Please stay, if just a little while! I'm so l-l-l-lonely!" Sandy looked at the little green haired girl sitting in the small chair crying, and shook her head, then moved to Minx's side and putting an arm around her, giving her a quick hug to get her attention, saying with a warm grin, "Of course, I'll be your friend and I'll visit you every day. Tea parties are fine, but you have to respect my me time! Okay?" The little girl nodded, her spikey green hair waving every which way as she did as Sandy gave her a longer hug, then crossed over, picking up the small chair she knocked over and sitting down in it saying, "I think I have time for a quick cup of tea before I go back to Volodja. Pour away!" The teapot hovered in the air, then levitated to the cup in front of Sandy, pouring into it until the cup was full. Sandy took a sip, surprised to find it tasted like the beer she had been drinking befiore Minx abducted her, so she remarked, "I hope you aren't drinking beer! It's not good at your age." Minx giggled, "Mommy read that it isn't good for babies, so I won't, but I took a taste, "Minx then stuck out her tongue and made a disgusted face before continuing, "It was yucky! I prefer my peppermint tea."  Sandy and Minx talked for a while, about pretend nonsense mostly, sometimes including Timothy Toothsome and Mr. S, but most times not. After a short while, Sandy took her leave hugging the little girl and heading back to the holo-room. Wolfram was still there enjoying the virtual beer hall, but didn't know where Volodja had wandered off to, which didn't alarm Sandy until she couldn't find a trace of his EGO in the team base. Sandy became more alarmed when she accessed the routine log of the base's front gate, seeing that he had left alone into the San Francisco wasteland. Sandy's mind whirled, not sure what to do, as she thought, "Volodja's mad at me for leaving! He didn't know I didn't want to! Considering what I was doing at the time I left, he probably thinks me such a tease! I bet he thinks I don't love him and am merely toying with his affections! I bet he is going into the wasteland to die because he doesn't think I love him as much as he loves me! I bet he's dying right now, hell bugs chewing at his arms and legs and him thinking I don't love him and with his last breath cursing the day he ever met me! I bet he hates me now! I deserve his hate, not his love, but I still got to save him if I can!" Sandy frantically contacted her EGO host telling Lady Christianna her suspicions as to Volodja's whereabouts, whereupon Lady sighed, kissed Atticus, then said, "Got to go." "Wait!" Exclaimed Sandy to Lady through the telepathic link they shared, "I didn't mean that you personally should find him, just tell Atticus or Belle or Erika or somebody, but you're pregnant and shouldn't be wandering the wasteland! It's way too dangerous! Stay Lady, Stay! Get back down there in bed!" "Faster this way," answered Lady as she slipped on her Ark Hunter outfit with the expandable waist and her shield. Atticus asked Lady what was up, but Lady merely smiled enigmaticlly, kissing him quickly once again, then saying, "Stuff to do. Getting fresh air. Stay in bed." With that, she grabbed her Crimefighter shotgun, then decoyed throught the door, hurrying to the motorpool. Once there, Lady mounted her red ATV and raced in the direction the base guards said Volodja had taken, all the while Sandy scanning at long range for any sign of his EGO. |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on May 14, 2015 16:11:27 GMT
Walking back to the base seemed to be just a way too long to enjoy it. He drove further away than he expected earlier, and now he had to pay a penalty for that by measuring former San Francisco with his long feet. "I have become too gullible, I guess," he thought. "All I wanted to do is to help those bastards with their broken car, but they decided to mug me instead."
He examined Ark hunters/muggers set of wheels. Vehicle was a real piece of junk, and repairing it was impossible without proper set of tools, only decent mechanic workshop could provide him. Those two just had to ask him to be towed to Top Notch or Bug'n'Chug or Headlands Transit or wherever they wanted, but they decided to rob him instead, without giving him a chance to protect himself. Driving back to the base was out of question. Volodja had to travel on foot.
He looked at his newly obtained SMG next and would gladly curse, but what's the use? That gun was another piece of junk, because Raiders won't take care of their weapons. Probably because their life expectancy was not exactly a highest one, remaining between 20 to 26 years, thus reminding him results of Neolithic era or Bronze Age. Life is short, so why use it to keep their weapons in excellent condition and thus prolong it? That was a question to ponder about, but even if Volodja would bother find an answer to that, because knowing it would not make this junk SMG any better. That's why he pulled his sapper shovel out from Raider's corpse and decided to relay mainly on it, instead of that piece of crap firearm. Guess he was ready as he could be for having a long walk.
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Post by Lady Christianna on May 14, 2015 17:43:40 GMT
Sandy found Volodja's EGO like a beacon in the wilderness, and was relieved when Sophie, Volodja's EGO psyche, confirmed that he was in good health, albeit on foot. She felt even better when Lady Christianna wheeled up in front of him on her red ATV. Sandy fairly leaping out of Lady's EGO and hugged him tightly and actually kissing him, surprising both of them in her solidity since she wasn't in a hard light holo-room but outside in the open environment. It only lasted a moment, as her arms again became transparent, flowing through his body so fast that they both wondered if they hadn't imagined it. Sandy backed up, not sure of what just happened, but just glad Volodja was unscathed from his adventures, exclaiming with concern written all over her pretty face, "I am so sorry! Minx just grabbed me out of the holo-room - I promise I didn't have a choice - and then she wanted to have a tea party and I didn't know you would be so mad at me and please don't hate me because I love you so much and I was so worried when I got back and you were gone and I'm so sorry and I know I already said that..." Sandy stopped talking suddenly, concentrating all her willpower to become solid again, then hugged him tightly kissing him passionately for as long as her willpower could keep her solid, which unfortunately for them both, was only about a minute. As Sandy became a holographic ghost once again, Lady dismounted her red ATV, walking over to Volodja with her enigmatic smile in place. "Worried us Teach," Said Lady as she gave him a warm hug. Before he could answer, four raider crawlers emerged from the soil around them, one of them right from under Lady's red ATV causing it to explode. As Sandy disappeared back into Lady's EGO to engage defensive measures, Volodja and Lady ducked shrapnel from the exploding ATV as Raiders piled out of the crawlers, one of them yelling, "Going to make you bleed!" As a slow tanker emerged from a crawler as the last of a score of raider enemies, Lady unshouldered her crimefighter and began firing green balls of death into their ranks as she asked Volodja, "Friends of yours?"  |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on May 14, 2015 17:51:54 GMT
"My fault, Sandy. Totally MY fault for making you worry about worthless me and luring both of you into a danger. Can you ever forgive me, my love?" was Volodja's private message to Sandy, while he found himself wondering what was just happened. They really kissed each other without help of any devices? That felt great! That was great! That was unbelievable! And their second passionate kiss in open lasted a whole minute! Short time to others, but an eternity to guy in love, like Volodja was. How was that possible? Maybe it was a dream after all, but Volodja wanted it to be real with all his heart. After that he received another warm hug, bringing him back to relative reality. This hug came from Lady who was worried about Volodja enough to put herself into a danger and follow him to wasteland. He was about to apologize to her for causing her so much trouble, but... But then there were Raiders everywhere, unexpected and uninvited, firing at them and exploding Lady's red ATV. Volodja actually grinned at her question: "Friends of yours?" before answering: "Not at all, but they are surely ready to die to meet us." while his SMG sent short bursts among storming raiders and taking out couple of them until it suddenly spat out it's last bullet before getting jammed, so he threw it away, accidentally hitting one of attackers to face, and grabbed his trustworthy sapper shovel right after that, storming into a close combat. His old instructor was right when he praised the sapper shovel and it's qualities. It really worked as an axe and replaced a sword really efficiently too, as some unfortunate Raiders found out, when Volodja cut through closest Raiders neck with shovel's sharpened edge and smashed it into other Raiders shoulder right after that. Wherever his old instructor happens to be now - Heaven or Hell or still walking on Earth - Volodja sent his silent "Thank you" to him for those hours, full of pain and bruises, which now paid off, because pain and bruises were meant exclusively for Raiders. Once again he had to try his throwing skills again, because he was way too far from a Raider Rioter, approaching to Lady and aiming him with his short barrel shot gun behind his shield, to smack him with his weapon, so he sung his arm and sent his shovel through air, hitting Rioter's back and making him fall to the ground, face down. Then he run to that Rioter, pulled his weapon out from him and stood like a gladiator, waiting another opponent.  |
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Post by Atticus Batman on May 14, 2015 22:57:26 GMT
As soon as Lady left the room, I asked Dinara, "Pest could you please keep track of Lady and Sandy? They are up to something." Just a minute or 2 later Dinara responds back with, "Atty! They are leaving through the main gate!"
I jump out of bed as I respond to Dinara, "My complete vitals?"
She appears in holographic form and shrugs, "Lung repaired, spine repaired, ribs repaired, mind unstable,"
I respond outloud with, "Yes I know I am dakking nuts! Never bothered me and doesn't Lady, so doesn't matter."
Dinara giggles and says, "Doesn't bother me either but you asked for your complete vitals, so I told ya! Now since you wanna know, she is almost too far for me to track anymore! So hurry, Atty!"
I quickly open the door to the infirmary and see Doctor Orion. "Hurry. Where is my gear?"
Orion has a nurse hand it to me, then says, "Sorry your armor is being laundered. It stunk up my hospital!"
I respond with, "Send it to my quarters when it is clean."
I then run out, carrying my gear. I quickly enter my armory. I pull out some clothing. The outfit looks like something from the old west, but then it is something I got from a bounty long ago. I quickly pull the leathers, shirt and buckskin vest on over my blue jumpsuit mask and gloves, then I shrug as I put on the poncho as well. Then on a whim and perhaps inspired by my outfit, instead of my Calling Bird, I grab my old Deadbolt sniper rifle as well as a Frontier Battle Rifle. Next I decide might as well go old school with all my guns, So I set my EXL pistol on my workbench, then grab and holster my El Guapo pistol and sheathe my Epic Amakune, since a good blade is always useful. I also grab a boot knife. One can never have enough weapons.
On my way out the door, Dinara chuckles and says, "If ya are goin that old school, then you need the matching hat!" So I quickly grab and throw on my Old Faithful cowboy hat, as I blur to the garage that I keep my vehicles in. I notice that all my challengers are on ramps with the hoods open and a couple of mechanics there. "Dak what are you guys doing?!"
One looks at me, fear in his eyes, and reluctantly says, "Sorry sir. Chris and Zork are having us upgrade them and all your atvs, and your duni. Your choices are your Hellfire Durrango although it's booster is busted, or your Raptor. I say, "Fine the Raptor it is!" I then run and jump into the Raptor's driver seat, where it is parked near the garage door as it was the last vehicle I drove. I then fire it up and drive out fast, the door sensors in my Raptor opening and closing the base gates as I approach them. I head towards Lady's last co-ords. As I get closer, her signal pops up on radar and Dinara says, "Atty! They aren't alone and Mr. Volo is injured!" As soon as I beleive I am close enough, I slam on the brakes near a large outcropping of rocks, and blur up them. As soon as I am high up, I pull out my deadbolt and look through the scope.
Sure enough, they have plenty of Raider company. I quickly line up a headshot and fire. The head of the guy infront of Lady, charging at her, explodes with the shot. Then I put several shots into the Tanker's tank. As he lifts his helm to look around and see where the shots came from, I fire a shot into his face and watch as he falls down dead. Then I go back to picking off Raiders. After a few more shots to thin out the trouble, I jump off the rock and walk towards my Fiance and our troublemagnet of a friend, firing concentrated shots as I do so.
As I approach them, I run out of ammo, and I curse myself for not having any ammo algorythms installed on my cyber rig. So I quickly sheethe the sniper and switch to my pistol, prefering it over my AR when possible. I overcharge and keep firing as I approach them. More Raiders hitting the ground as I do so. Even if they didn't notice who it was from looking, I am sure my Sadistic laughter has to have given it away to Lady and Volodja by now.
When I walk up to them I say, "Looks like you were trying to have all the fun without me! So........Did you miss me?"
Then I notice Volo's current weapon and chuckle. " You can fill me in on what you are, all, doing out here, later. For now, we kill more Raiders. My Raptor is just over the ridge, I came from. However, I am glad to see, I am not the only one that uses whatever I can, but perhaps this will be more useful." I then quickly hand my Frontier Battle Rifle and some ammo to Volo as I take a few more shots with my pistol.
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Post by Lady Christianna on May 15, 2015 0:56:10 GMT
As the second wave of raiders came out of the crawlers, Lady Christianna blew a kiss to Atticus as she sent her decoy out in back of a half dozen of them, then exchanged places with it, confusing the raiders as she fired her crimefighter into them. Lady had gotten quite skilled at either firing the bouncing balls of death point blank or ricocheting them off the ground into her chosen targets. One of the raiders who was not killed out right tried to knife her, but she used the melee butt of her shotgun and finished him off. Lady frowned at the corpse, exclaiming, "Beat you!" As another group exited the crawler in back of Atticus, Lady ricocheted her crimefighter shots on the ground around Atticus and into the raiders threatening to bushwhack him. She then pivoted, firing at the ruined wall in back of a second Tanker who had emerged from behind it, bouncing the fiery balls off the wall, exploding the tanks on his back. When Atticus gave her a questioning look, Lady smiled enigmatically and shrugged her slim shoulders saying, "Clan has a pool table."  |
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Post by Atticus Batman on May 15, 2015 3:44:00 GMT
I admire Lady's great shots, then smiling my wicked smile, I say, "Great shots. Remind me not to piss you off. Never played pool myself or used a Crimefighter for that matter, so you will have to teach me that sometime. Now darts or knife throwing, that is what I am used to for games." As if to prove my point, my pistol clicks on empty as a raider starts charging us. So I pull out my boot knife and throw it into the raider's neck. As he hits the ground dying, I walk over to him and kneel down. I pul out the knife and cut his throat with one quick fluid movement, ending his suffering. I then wipe the blade clean on his outfit and re-sheathe it. Then I quickly search him for ammo and any other goods I may want or need.
I look at Volodja, who is loading the gun that I handed him. "Volodja, please don't lose that gun. We may need it later." I then reload my pistol, as I walk to Lady. I give her a quick kiss on the lips, as I point my pistol and shoot a raider behind her, right in his family pack. He screams as he grabs his crotch and hits the ground. I look at Lady with my predatory grin, "Excuse me for a second, Tianna."
Then I walk over to the Raider. I point my pistol and kill him, execution style. As I turn around, I see two raiders that are trying to get the jump on me, and raise my pistol to shoot them, just as a Crimefighter round hits one in the chest and kills him, and a shot from the Ar I leant Volo, kills the other one.
I search all three Raiders, near me, as I think, "Damn I am getting old. Who would have thought?". Then I talk to Lady Christianna and Volodja. "Thank you for that. Perhaps we should work our way back to the ridge and my Raptor, before more arrive. Since it looks like I need to get you a new atv later, and it doesn't look like Volodja has a vehicle. Unless that junkheap over there is yours, Volodja. That is, unless we have a reason to stay here?" |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on May 15, 2015 5:05:31 GMT
"I would never drive any junk heaps, Giant," said Volodja. "I prefer travelling with style and reliability. Unfortunately my car is somewhere without me, but it's a long story and it hasn't ended for me yet, but I am willing to delay writing the next chapter: "Return of the Car" and go back to our base. And since you wondered about this sapper shovel, Giant, then allow me to demonstrate one of it's good qualities."
Volodja looked at rust pile, those two Ark hunters called their car, and suddenly his strong and steady arm swung through air third time in that day, throwing the shovel towards car's front door. Shovel penetrated through it's tired metal and remained to be there, until Volodja pulled it out from it's landing spot, revealing deep crack in the door panel.
"My old instructor would have been proud of me," he commented. "But compared with him I am just an amateur, but I do think that he would have been proud of that too, because he took away too many lives with too many different items during his service, to learn to use his talent only for extreme situations, like we had here," Volodja continued, placing sapper shovel to his belt. "Oh, almost forgot. Good calculations, Lady. And think that you used to hate mathematics, although you show great practical results in it. Guess it's a Raptor ride for us now. Take the scenic route, please, since we don't have much time to get mementos from this famous battle place, but I would like to have a day to remember."
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Post by Atticus Batman on May 15, 2015 6:07:06 GMT
I look at the damage, Volo's shovel did to the junkheap. "Nice. Yes, anything can be a weapon if needed. I am sure you remember when I used the shark-gator tooth. Used basic pencils before, as well. Our friend, the Iron Giant, Jose Hemenez is going to be teaching combat classes from now on at the base. It will be interesting to see what he is capable of teaching. I do need to get me some of those shovels for my vehicles though. Anyway, let's go home. I will try to drive more careful than usual and take my time. Don't want to risk hurting Lady or our unborn twins, or you for that matter, even though you seem to be a troublemagnet. Although it will be hard, since I am used to extreme tactical driving." I take and hold Lady's hand as we walk up the ridge towards my parked Raptor, with Volo close behind. I help Lady into the back of the Raptor, then hop into the driver's seat and wait for Volo to get in, and for them to say that they are ready to go.
Once they both signal that they are ready, I begin a long drive. To give Volodja his scenic drive, I go offcourse and drive to Coit Tower. Once there, I help Lady out and "accidently" squeeze her butt as I do so. Then I peruse the items in the mod vendor, to get just the right mods for my Sporeshot. I also take the time to give Lady a big kiss as we enjoy the view in the distance. |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on May 15, 2015 8:18:57 GMT
"What a sight," muttered Volodja. "Devastated land and yet it has so many hidden beauty." Wind was playing with his hair, when he observed landscape with his brown eyes, still holding Aticus's Frontier Battle Rifle in his hands, when he started to recite William Blake's "Jerusalem":
"And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold:
Bring me my arrows of desire:
Bring me my spear: O clouds unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire.
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land."
Somehow it seemed to be suitable to recite standing at Coit Tower, overlooking remains of former city of San Francisco, now infested with Dark Matter, scrappers, mutants and afflicted, while Ark hunters struggled there to survive and make a living, while only few of them still had bigger ideas in their minds - preserve memories of the gone world and build a new life from old remains. Volodja met couple of them and was really proud to know those weird people who still dared to dream after apocalypse.
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Post by Belle Starr on May 15, 2015 8:48:34 GMT
As the wandering threesome headed home, Belle Starr wondered how they were doing. She had taken note of their base leavings from the War Room earlier and she almost said something when she saw Lady Christianna sign out her ATV from the motor pool, but bit her tongue reminding herself that Lady was an adult now. Furthermore, Lady was well trained in the martial and combat arts, since Belle had trained her herself in the Team Evolution clan. The day that Lady was Belle's protégé were over, and a part of Belle was sad for it for it was also the passing of Lady's childhood. However, when Belle thought about it, many people in this post-apocalyptic world never reached the ripe old age of seventeen as had Lady, and Belle was happy for her small part in helping Lady's age longevity.
Chloe Mac Guyver came to take her shift in the War Room, not at all surprised to see Belle at the command post instead of Erika Widowmaker, saying good naturedly, "Good to see you there my darling fuck muppet! Crikey, it's where you belong and you know it! Glad Miss-high-and-mighty finally realized it!"
Belle smiled warmly at the luscious redhead who could make even the dull base coveralls look sexy, although Chloe always had the front zipper down low to show the maximum amount of cleavage from her ample bosom. Chloe was a practicing bi-sexual who practiced ever time she got a chance, and early in her friendship with Belle had made multiple sexual advances to her, but Belle was provincial in many ways. She had been brought up Catholic, although she never judged anyone harshly for their sexual preferences. Belle liked men, plain and simple, and one man in particular she had actually loved - Vo Kshaa - who was dead now, but who she kept alive in her memory, or tried to.
Belle frowned remembering that sometimes she felt she had trouble remembering the details of his face and body. She knew she would never forget his intense cyan eyes or his lop sided grin, or the hardness of his lanky athletic body, but little details such as whether the mole on his shoulder was on the left side or the right side would often evade her memory, and that made her incredibly sad. Vo had been her Prince Charming, her soul mate, the one in her life that she could never replace, and to think that she could forget anything about him was abhorrent to her.
Belle's encrypted hailer chiming brought her out of her mental reverie, as she said to Chloe with her cheerful mask on, "Thanks Chloe! Erika means well and was trying to keep the base safe, but I'm glad I'm back too! Excuse me while I take this!" Then answered into her hailer, "Chris? You have my pet project done! Wow, that was fast! Y'all are a miracle worker, believe me! Thank you kindly, I'll be right down to pick it up."
After ending her call, Belle's smile became real as she hugged Chloe, not like lovers do but as two old friends do when one of them gets good news, then took her leave from the War Room. Belle hurried down to maintenance where Chris' office was, quickly knocking at the door. Besides having mind control over hell bugs, Chris was a wizard with machines of all sorts, and Belle had given him a mind-altering machine that could recreate real events in dreams. The machine had helped Lady get her memory back when she had a brief bout of amnesia, and Belle hoped that it would keep her memory of Vo alive and fresh. Belle had a genius IQ thanks to her mad scientist father's manipulation of her genes in her mother's womb, and she had worked with the best computer programmers and hackers in the world as VBI's Director of Security Analysis, learning the tricks of the trade so it had only taken a morning's work to write the program she needed to make her scheme become reality.
When Belle got confirmation that it was okay to come into Chris' office, she did and he presented the dream machine as she called it to her. The Mistress of Judgment's Inquisition scientists had originally made it to mind control people, and Volodja had modified it as a therapeutic device for Lady, but Chris had further changed it to fit Belle's purposes and to have a failsafe timer on it so that it would turn off after a set time. After Chris explained his modifications of the device, Belle squealed in delight, unable to contain her glee, hugging and kissing him on the cheek, and making Chris blush in the process. Belle swept up the device, thanking Chris again for his quick work, then rushed to her quarters.
Once there, Belle threw off her clothes, changing into one of the oversized T-shirts she slept in, then climbed into her four poster bed and under the red satin sheets. The dream machine was no bigger than an oversized head band, and once she had set the timer for an hour, she placed it on her blond tousled head and quickly fell asleep.
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Post by Lady Christianna on May 15, 2015 9:13:09 GMT
As Lady and Atticus held each other and enjoyed the view from Coit Tower, she turned her wide pink eyes to look at him adoringly. She then pinched his butt hard, running away giggling to where Volodja stood reciting Blake's poem. She stopped and listened, a look of intense wonder on her chalk white face until he finished. Her enigmatic smile returned to her thin white lips, as she looked at Volodja and said, "Sweeeeet!" Lady looked over her shoulder to see if Atticus was chasing her, then ran giggling to the Raptor, getting into the passenger seat in front of the driver's. She then pointed one delicate forefinger forwards, commanding in a fake authoritative voice, "Home Jeeves!"  |
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Post by Atticus Batman on May 15, 2015 10:12:08 GMT
I smile when Lady pinches my ass and runs off. However I listen to Volo's poem and hear Lady's admiration of it, as well as her pretending I am just her chauffer. Then I say, "Nice poem. However I figured a poem of eternal hope would be more your style. The sentiments of the dreamer, so to speak. So how about one I can relate to? Like perhaps, "Apocalypse" by Richard Realf. Yes it is from the perspective of a dying man, however I have been there enough to be able to truly relate. Even if I have only been hoping for a better world for a few months, since being....well close to death for around a year, and then meeting, both, Belle and Lady. Just replace the red blood in the poem with purple and it could almost be me, well except for the fact that I do not have a disdain for murder. So your turn to listen for once." I then recite the poem:
Apocalypse - A Poem by Richard Realf
Straight to his heart the bullet crushed;
Down from his breast the red blood gushed,
And o'er his face a glory rushed.
A sudden spasm shook his frame,
And in his ears there went and came
A sound as of devouring flame.
Which in a moment ceased, and then
The great light clasped his brows again,
So that they shone like Stephen's when
Saul stood apart a little space
And shook with shuddering awe to trace
God's splendors settling o'er his face.
Thus, like a king, erect in pride,
Raising clean hands toward heaven, he cried:
'All hail the Stars and Stripes!' and died.
Died grandly. But before he fell—
(O blessedness ineffable!)
Vision apocalyptical
Was granted to him, and his eyes,
All radiant with glad surprise,
Looked forward through the Centuries,
And saw the seeds which sages cast
In the world's soil in cycles past,
Spring up and blossom at the last;
Saw how the souls of men had grown,
And where the scythes of Truth had mown
Clear space for Liberty's white throne;
Saw how, by sorrow tried and proved,
The blackening stains had been removed
Forever from the land he loved;
Saw Treason crushed and Freedom crowned,
And clamorous Faction, gagged and bound,
Gasping its life out on the ground.
With far-off vision gazing clear
Beyond this gloomy atmosphere
Which shuts us out with doubt and fear
He—marking how her high increase
Ran greatening in perpetual lease
Through balmy years of odorous Peace
Greeted in one transcendent cry
Of intense, passionate ecstasy
The sight which thrilled him utterly;
Saluting, with most proud disdain
Of murder and of mortal pain,
The vision which shall be again!
So, lifted with prophetic pride,
Raised conquering hands to heaven and cried:
'All hail the Stars and Stripes!' and died.
I then look at Volo, before glancing back at Lady, smiling at me from the Raptor. "Alright enough of that. You heard the lovely young lady. Let's go home!" I then walk to my Raptor. Leaning down I kiss Lady, then go around and climb into the drives seat, and start it up waiting for Volo to climb in. |
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Post by Volodja Uljanov on May 15, 2015 11:26:19 GMT
Volodja smiled. Verses were good and he enjoyed them, but they had to go back and release Marcel and Lena and maybe he could continue his interrupted virtual date with Sandy from that point where they were interrupted. Chances for that were minor, but he could prepare himself for another solo expedition to get his car back as soon as he figures out, where those two backstabbing car stealing Ark hunters went with that. So he said cheerfully:
"Not bad, Giant. I think I know who is going to be Lady's only teacher from now on. She admires you most, so even if you try to impress her with verses like: "Roses are red, violets are not. Blah, blah, blah. I think you are hot." she would take it as a greatest love poem ever and rest of poets would be pathetic amateurs in her eyes. I was just enjoying my moment here by reciting William Blake, not trying to impress anybody. If we were competing, then you would win. But I am ready to return to the base, so let's go. Poetic moment is over and so is our little visit to outside world. Or actually...you can drive ahead. I will visit The Fork. Time to support organized crime syndicate - the infamous Tarr family with some scrip."
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Post by Lady Christianna on May 15, 2015 11:44:31 GMT
Lady laughed and clapped gleefully after Atticus recited his poem, but when Volodja remarked that Atticus should be her only teacher, Lady vigorously shook her head. She looked at Volodja with intense pink eyes and replied, "You're Teach, not Atticus. You're knowledge awesome!"
Lady had a sudden thought then, so she stood up on the car seat she was sitting in, cleared her throat and said loudly:
Crazy Love - A Limmerick by Lady Christianna
There once was a young girl named Lady,
Whose true love was a little crazy;
To her he was a dove,
Only crazy in love,
So will he get lucky - well, maybe!
Lady then curtsied as she smiled her Mona Lisa smile, then sat back down looking quite pleased with herself waiting for the drive home.
Sandy appeared by Volodja's side, but her holographic form could barely be seen, and her face looked incredibly tired, as she said with a weary smile and a wispy voice, "I liked your poem best."
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