Somewhere Interesting - Revision history

FBH: /* V */

2012-12-07T20:20:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:20, 7 December 2012
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	Eeek.		Eeek.

			=VII=

			Running. Deep breaths of cold air. Eyes flickering around to try to spot obstacles on the ground and the Elk running ahead. Arms pumping, heat rising internally, fighting the frost in my lungs. I wonder how Csille can keep the pace up. We're moving around the Elk in a pattern, boxing it in.

			This is so not me. . . my muscles are screaming at me. Somehow I keep going on. Zsuzsanna is running easily ahead, and I'm barely keeping pace with the Kolibri despite my longer legs.

			Zsuzsanna puts on a burst of speed, and leaps and takes the Elk down. She grapples, then breaks its neck with a quick motion. We come to rest, panting. Zsuzsanna pulls a knife and begins to cut the kill up, reaching in she pulls out its heart and holds it out to me. "Try some."

			I reach out, mouth opening hesitantly, and then take a bite. . .

			. . .

			During the walk back Csille keeps giggling.

			"You fainted. I didn't think Tempesti could faint."

			"I'm... well I'm not used to eating stuff like that." I glare down at the ground.

			"It was pretty funny. The look on your face, and Zsuzsanna worrying about grabbing you because she had blood all over her hand."

			I give her a look and the Kolibri bursts out laughing again. "Hey, would you like to see something on the way home?"

			"Uh, sure." I wonder at this sudden subject change. "What sort of something though?"

			"Something." she leads me off down an animal track and deeper into the bush. After "I think this might suit you better than hunting."

FBH: /* VI */

2012-11-26T22:39:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:39, 26 November 2012
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	"Right." This is going to be an experience.		"Right." This is going to be an experience.
	=VI=		=V=
	I run a hand down the bark of a tree. The bark is strange. It's not shiny like the bark on Tempesti trees, nor is it rough like the bark on earth trees. Instead it feels smooth, like worked wood under my fingers.		I run a hand down the bark of a tree. The bark is strange. It's not shiny like the bark on Tempesti trees, nor is it rough like the bark on earth trees. Instead it feels smooth, like worked wood under my fingers.

FBH: /* IV */

2012-11-26T22:39:25Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:39, 26 November 2012
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	"Right." This is going to be an experience.		"Right." This is going to be an experience.
			=VI=
			I run a hand down the bark of a tree. The bark is strange. It's not shiny like the bark on Tempesti trees, nor is it rough like the bark on earth trees. Instead it feels smooth, like worked wood under my fingers.

			The woods are thick and wet. The forest, unusually, doesn't remind me of any of the other worlds I've been too. New Mercia's jungle was either iced over or much hotter than this. The terraforming pine areas were just colder. Kannon woods simply don't look like these, and again the temperature's not right.

			There's really no way you could mistake Surface for Tempest at all. I let out my breath and look around, then pull my water bottle and take a drink as Zsuzanna slides up beside me. The others keep their distance, except Csille. "Look over there." the Heja points. I follow her finger and see something moving through the gloom. A huge armoured beast strides into view, its great antlers moving back and forth as it looks around, quartering the ground as it goes.

			"It's a Elkasaur." Zsuzanna whispers. "They rarely come this far north. She's probably coming to build a nest."

			I watch, spell bound as the great beast comes up towards us. "Don't touch." Zsuzanna whispers.

			I look at the beasts huge sharp tail, held up perpendicular like a cats. "I wouldn't think too." The Elkasaur regards us with a herbivores haughty contempt and goes on its way.

			"Amazing." I breath as it goes on its way.

			"Much better than a drone view huh?" Zsuzanna smirks.

			''Sure'' I think, ''but how often do you do this?'' I'm such a city brat. Part of me expected her to shoot the thing with giant gun that she carries over her shoulder and cook it for dinner. I'm not one of those Tempesti who's super superior about being autovegan and I've eaten real meat a time or two but the concept is still pretty disgusting.

			We continue on down the path. There's twittering on all sides, like the hum of tree lizards. "What creature makes that sound?" I ask.

			"It's like earth," Zsuzanna looks up "birds."

			"I went to earth once." I follow her gaze, watching as small, colourful creatures dart between the branches. "Your birds don't sound the same."

			"That's why we left. For different birdsong and different animals and trees and stars." the heja looks down at me. "I think we got what we wanted." I nod and she goes on. "Do you hunt?"

			"Sure, there aren't many Tempesti who haven't hunted at least once." I test the weight of the gun on my shoulder. "You'd need to show me how in this environment though."

			Zsuzanna frowns a bit. "You hunt? I thought Tempesti didn't eat meat?"

			"Well only a violet can eat anything from Tempesti, even then, most people don't really like eating actual meat, but we still hunt. It practices field craft and uh..." I break off, realizing I'm scandalizing her slightly.
			"You should eat anything you hunt you know. Otherwise it's just a waste of life."

			"Well uh, often the animal gets used in industrial processes cause we can't eat them." I try.

			"Hmph! I'll have to show you how to hunt properly." She pulls out a small scanner, checks the reading then goes off again. "Come on, there are dear this way. We'll have venison for lunch."

			Eeek.

FBH: /* IV */

2012-11-26T22:39:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:39, 26 November 2012
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	"Sure." I smile, wondering what I will dream of tonight.		"Sure." I smile, wondering what I will dream of tonight.

	~~=IV=~~
	=IV=		=IV=

FBH: /* IV */

2012-11-22T23:54:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:54, 22 November 2012
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	"Sure." I smile, wondering what I will dream of tonight.		"Sure." I smile, wondering what I will dream of tonight.

			=IV=
	=IV=		=IV=

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	Finally we smash through the last room and break the princess from the throne she's chained too. There are meddles and celebration. Then someone asks. "What do we do now?"		Finally we smash through the last room and break the princess from the throne she's chained too. There are meddles and celebration. Then someone asks. "What do we do now?"

	I wake to ~~the warm light of a new day~~, ~~stretch~~ and ~~walk out~~ to the ~~outdoor toilets~~. ~~It's chillier than~~ I~~'d like. You'd think that~~ a ~~group who~~'~~s planet has actual snow would be~~ more ~~for indoor plumbing. When I get back~~ in ~~I find Csilla waiting nervously. This seems to be a thing she does. "Come on~~. ~~I'll introduce you to everyone. We bathe together. . . that's okay with you right?"~~		When I wake up cold dawn light is filtering through the blinds. The morning is crisp and to me chilly, I pull my top clothes back over what I was sleeping in and slope off to the outside toilet, wincing slightly as my bare feet touch the grass. I take a shower while I'm out there, and spend the way back wincing even more as the water in my hair evaporates, chilling me slightly.

	"~~Well sure as long as it~~'~~s just bathing.~~ I ~~don't know~~ you ~~guys very well yet~~."		When I get back I find Csilla waiting. She looks nervous. "If you're dressed I can take you to breakfast." She suggests. "I want to introduce you to everyone."
	"~~Uh,~~ I ~~live with a couple of men too, so uh..~~."

	~~I count~~ to ~~ten~~. "I ~~kind of figured you might given~~ the ~~odds~~." I ~~look down at her~~. "I'~~m sure~~ I'~~ll stand it somehow~~."		"Sure, just give me a minute to dry my hair and get dressed." I smile at her then firmly shut the door and get dressed. I'm starting to feel a little embarrassed about my quiet little suicide attempt. I've done some stupid things but whatever possessed me to do that. On the other hand another part of me recognizes I've felt this up before. It too may pass into another down.

	~~One of~~ the ~~bad things about Tempest is that everyone ''everyone'' notices gender around you~~. I~~'m sure that in whatever heavenly server they're in~~, ~~our founders are quietly annoyed by~~ the ~~way their great work~~ is ~~used~~ to ~~resurrect the very issues they sought~~ to ~~escape~~. ~~Alternatively maybe they think it underlines~~ just ~~why it's still needed~~.		I walk out and smile down at Csilla. "Okay, already." She nods and leads off down the hall. I find myself watching her back, where her outfit shows off the top of her shoulder blades. Despite a tan from having been out doors so long her skin is so light compared to mine. She seems not to notice my regard. "Uh, two of my uh... housemates are male, just so you know." She fidgets.

	~~Csilla scampers off and~~ I ~~go get a towel and some other stuff out of my kit, wrapping it around myself as Csilla gets back. It~~'~~s chilly as hell~~. ~~The chance to get into the bath with Csilla~~ and ~~an unknown number of sexy Surfacian woman is tempered by~~ the ~~fact I'm freezing my tits off, but I try not to let it show as I'm led into what seems~~ to be a ~~natural hot spring chamber in the basement. Small candles burn everywhere, giving the place a dim and steamy atmosphere. As soon as I'm past the door the cold vanishes~~ to ~~be replaced by a wet heat, like a sunny day at New Reykjavik~~.		"I've met men before you know." I smile at her and resist the urge to run a finger across that delicious patch of skin to see what she does.

	~~I walk down the stone cut steps and step~~ into the ~~water. It has several more lights floating in it, as well as~~ four ~~people~~, ~~two men~~ and ~~two women~~. ~~The nearest is~~ the ~~Heja~~. ~~She's tall and busty and really hard not to stare at. Beside her are a pair of Kolbri men, both back from~~ me in a ~~way that makes~~ me ~~want~~ to ~~grit my teeth. On~~ the ~~other side is another woman~~, ~~who looks rather like Csilla except blond not brunette~~.		We come into a large dining room. Around the table are four other Emberek, a smiling female Heja at the head of the table and three other Kolibri, in various states of nervousness sat around it. It takes me a while to reason out who are the two guys but I get their eventually. Csilla (I assumed) had got me a short stool which got me up to the right level of the table and was, I found out, the most devastatingly uncomfortable device I'd ever sat on. The table itself was packed with food.

	"Hi." ~~I step into~~ the ~~water and feel~~ the ~~heat rush into~~ me. It'~~s helped by~~ the ~~fact that nobody is wearing a towel except me~~.		"Hi." the Heja was the only one without a chair. She smiled at me whitely. "I'm Zsuzanna. This is Gizella," she indicated the other woman then the guys, "Adorjan and Gabriel. Csille told us about your troubles and we're all here to welcome you to our house."

	"~~Good morning~~." ~~The Heja smiles~~. "~~You must be Maya~~.~~" She reaches out an arm and we shake~~. ~~"Let me introduce you around~~. ~~This is Gizella, Adorjan, and Gabriel, and I~~'~~m Zsuzsanna~~."		"Thank you." I sit down, trying not to be nervous. "It uh... well it's good to be here." I smile a bit.

	"~~Nice to meet~~ you ~~all~~." I ~~relax into the water~~. "~~Thank you for letting me be a guest~~." ~~That sounds right~~.		"I hear you're an artist. I like to paint. . . maybe we could talk shop later on?" Zsuzanna smiles. "Oh and please help yourself."

	"~~Well Csilla told us about your problems and we couldn~~'~~t let someone in need sleep in some Immigrant Town hostel~~.~~" Zsuzsanna grins at me. "Let me show you~~ around ~~the baths... soap is over~~ here~~. Don't worry about dirt or whatever in the water we have a system that cleans it out. .~~ ." There's ~~something infectious about the tall woman's grin~~. ~~The others come out of their shells a bit after a while~~.		"Sure. I'd like to. You have wonderful vistas around here." There's a ridiculous amount of food here. I eat bacon, eggs, breakfast pastries, toast, fruit.

	~~"So~~ why ~~are you on Surface?~~" ~~asks Adorjan~~. ~~"Are you a posthuman worshipper?~~"		Eventually the others start to come out of their shells a bit. Adorjan asks if I like the food and I tell him I do. He's proud as he cooked it. Meantime Gabriel is interested in why I'm here. "To find myself or something... or find out how to live."

	"~~I'm not sure. I guess I sort~~ of ~~am. .~~ ." ~~I shrug~~. "~~It's mostly just, well, I don't really know what to do with myself. I guess Csille told~~ you ~~guys about last night?" They nod~~. ~~How do I even explain this to people who weren~~'~~t there? "I fought in~~ the ~~war. It affected me a lot. . . I guess I'm looking for somewhere where I can find something to live~~ for."		"A lot of people come here for that." Zsuzanna seems happy to dominate the conversations and the others seem happy to defer. "Perhaps after breakfast you can come on a Ground Survey. We're checking the estate for poachers, squatters, damage, stuff like that."

	~~Zsuzsanna smiles gently~~. "~~Well~~, ~~you~~'~~ve come to~~ the ~~right place then~~, ~~and I know~~ just ~~where~~ to ~~start~~."		"Ah." The idea that this land is owned is pretty alien too me still, but I don't voice that one. I can't help but ask "Do drones get adversely affected by the posthuman structures?"

			The Heja laughs. "No no, we just like walking around. It's a beautiful land we gained. It's a shame not to experience it. After breakfast, I'll show you."

			"Right." This is going to be an experience.

FBH: /* IV */

2012-11-20T20:00:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:00, 20 November 2012
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	"Hi." I step into the water and feel the heat rush into me. It's helped by the fact that nobody is wearing a towel except me.		"Hi." I step into the water and feel the heat rush into me. It's helped by the fact that nobody is wearing a towel except me.

	"Good morning." The Heja smiles. "You must be Maya." She reaches out an arm and we shake. "Let me introduce you around. This is Gizella, Adorjan, and ~~Varga~~, and I'm Zsuzsanna."		"Good morning." The Heja smiles. "You must be Maya." She reaches out an arm and we shake. "Let me introduce you around. This is Gizella, Adorjan, and Gabriel, and I'm Zsuzsanna."

	"Nice to meet you all." I relax into the water. "Thank you for letting me be a guest." That sounds right.		"Nice to meet you all." I relax into the water. "Thank you for letting me be a guest." That sounds right.

FBH: /* III */

2012-11-20T19:54:41Z

III

@@ Line 76: / Line 76: @@
 "Only when it's not raining." I stretch and realize I just made a joke. I didn't really think I still had it in me.
- There's a question I wonder if she'll ask. The one that looms unsaid in any conversation with off worlders. Csilla natters on some more before she gets to it. "So uh, what ca-" She catches herself "colour are you?"
+There's a question I wonder if she'll ask. The one that looms unsaid in any conversation with off worlders. Csilla natters on some more before she gets to it. "So uh, what ca-" She catches herself "colour are you?"
 "I'm blue." I smile. "The artist caste."
@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 "Sure." I smile, wondering what I will dream of tonight.

FBH: /* II */

2012-11-19T20:02:10Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:02, 19 November 2012
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	I get up, sway, then stand. "I'm fine really. This is nothing." Its night outside the window. The aurora painting the sky a beautiful abstract of red and green and blue, the great blue ball of the gas giant glowing above it. "This is. . . nothing. Thank you doctor." I smile, shake the doctor's hand and walk free into the cool night and the lights.		I get up, sway, then stand. "I'm fine really. This is nothing." Its night outside the window. The aurora painting the sky a beautiful abstract of red and green and blue, the great blue ball of the gas giant glowing above it. "This is. . . nothing. Thank you doctor." I smile, shake the doctor's hand and walk free into the cool night and the lights.

	=III=		=III=

	Csilla pulls a slim pad from off her belt as we go. All the natives carry them, apparently as an alternative to having a neural lace. "I'll just call my car. It's parked a bit of a distance away, shouldn't take too long though." She smiles at me. "Home's about half an hour's flight."		Csilla pulls a slim pad from off her belt as we go. All the natives carry them, apparently as an alternative to having a neural lace. "I'll just call my car. It's parked a bit of a distance away, shouldn't take too long though." She smiles at me. "Home's about half an hour's flight."

FBH: /* II */

2012-11-19T20:01:44Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:01, 19 November 2012
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	I get up, sway, then stand. "I'm fine really. This is nothing." Its night outside the window. The aurora painting the sky a beautiful abstract of red and green and blue, the great blue ball of the gas giant glowing above it. "This is. . . nothing. Thank you doctor." I smile, shake the doctor's hand and walk free into the cool night and the lights.		I get up, sway, then stand. "I'm fine really. This is nothing." Its night outside the window. The aurora painting the sky a beautiful abstract of red and green and blue, the great blue ball of the gas giant glowing above it. "This is. . . nothing. Thank you doctor." I smile, shake the doctor's hand and walk free into the cool night and the lights.

			=III=

			Csilla pulls a slim pad from off her belt as we go. All the natives carry them, apparently as an alternative to having a neural lace. "I'll just call my car. It's parked a bit of a distance away, shouldn't take too long though." She smiles at me. "Home's about half an hour's flight."

			She continues to natter and I become aware that she's trying to fill the silence between us. I smile. "Thanks for well, helping. You're pretty dutiful. I like that."

			Csilla looks up at me then blushes and averts her eyes. "T-thanks. I... well I'm just doing my job as a customs official and so on." She coughs. "I guess I like helping those in need. I mean. . ." She's saved from flustering further by the arrival of the air car, which settles down onto the paved area in front of the doctor's surgery with a hum of lift fans. It's a bulbous, rugged machine like a mechanical bumblebee. We used craft very like it during the war. I feel a sudden chill and mount hastily as the gull wing doors wish open at the side.

			"So uh..." If I was her I'd ask something like "why don't you care if you live or die?" Instead she says: "what's Tempest like?"

			"Hot. . . windy a lot. It's kind of a surprise how cool and dry your planet is." I shrug. "The ocean goes on forever, but you often can't see it because of the fog."

			"There's fog alot on tempest?" She asks. The car seems to be driving itself.

			"Only when it's not raining." I stretch and realize I just made a joke. I didn't really think I still had it in me.

			There's a question I wonder if she'll ask. The one that looms unsaid in any conversation with off worlders. Csilla natters on some more before she gets to it. "So uh, what ca-" She catches herself "colour are you?"

			"I'm blue." I smile. "The artist caste."

			"Ah, but I thought you were uh... a soldier." So, rather than just ask me what's up with my not quite suicide attempt she's trying to reason it out. If I was at home I'd be in a psychological hospital right now. . . ''which is why you're not home isn't it?''

			I shake my head. "People from all castes serve in the Defence Force." a small smile. "Half the violence takes place behind someone's eyes." I frown and something inside me gives me a push. "I have, well I suppose I have a problem. Are you sure you and your. . ." What is even the term for this? "Your housemates are prepared for this? I don't want to put you out."

			Csilla gives me a suddenly serious look. "Well I can't leave them like that. Maybe you should go see a psychologist though. I can find one if you like."

			"I don't really want to see a shrink. . ." Her face glitters in the aurora. She's beautiful in a cute way. I remember a broken heart on Kannon. . .

			More to the point I can't turn her down after I named the problem. "Alright, I will. Uh... does stuff like the cost?"

			She shakes her head. "Not to Tempesti, your government has a fund set up to pay for any medical work you might need." She smiles "I wouldn't worry about it though. Just get some rest." The flier drops into its final approach to a large cluster of buildings. "In the morning you can meet everyone else and make an appointment right?"

			"Sure." I smile, wondering what I will dream of tonight.

FBH at 01:08, 16 November 2012

2012-11-16T01:08:54Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:08, 15 November 2012
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	I key my phone icon, now a thing of infinite complexity that's pulling me in. . . and then the complexity grows, and grows, and grows and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa		I key my phone icon, now a thing of infinite complexity that's pulling me in. . . and then the complexity grows, and grows, and grows and aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

			=II=

			I wake up. My head aches. A migraine array of alerts and warnings scrolls across my vision. Beyond them are several concerned faces and one of the big, bulky all wired drones they use to do battle field surgery in combat archaeology operations. I command my implants to go off but they don't. "Nngh."

			The tallest of them speaks, handsome face coming down near mine. "Oh my, she's awake. Ms. Syed. Please don't be alarmed. Your implants have been affected by the posthuman network but it's not serious, and there's only been very limited bleed into your biological brain. We're going to switch your implants off and purge them.

			"Raa..." I can't seem to get the words out properly. An arm descends and I feel a slight sting as the needle goes through to my lace's access point and hits the switch. Then blessed relief as the implant turns off. I sigh and lie back, then realize one of the ones looking down at me is the woman from the terminal gate. "You came down to look for me?"

			"Well..." She smiles "You seemed like you were in a bit of trouble. I couldn't just leave you."
			"Thank you." I realize to my extreme surprise I actually mean that. Shakily I extend a hand. "Maya Syed."

			She shakes, grip small but strong. " Csilla, Csilla Varga Szabo." She smiles at me in a way that I think I could get used to. "When you're done here perhaps you could come home with me? You need to stay away from Xanadu a bit I'm afraid, if you go back before the cache clears then it'll update your implants too when you get close." She speaks with the seriousness of someone repeating what they've been told.

			The doctor looks up from the bot. "Yes. You should know better than to sleep inside a posthuman structure with implants like that." He frowns at me, reproving. "Whatever possessed you to do that anyway?" The words "Are you a rapture fucker and am I doing this for nothing?" float unsaid between us.

			"I don't know. I just... didn't care at the time." The arm retracts and the doctor hands me a pressure dressing. I apply it and then get up. "So are there any pills I'll need to take?" The Implants begin to come back up and I reload the settings as I like them.

			"No, you should be fine without medication. However if you experience any additional symptoms you should see a doctor immediately." He shakes his head then to Csilla "Make sure she gets some rest too."

			"Yes Doctor." Csilla is dutiful.

			I get up, sway, then stand. "I'm fine really. This is nothing." Its night outside the window. The aurora painting the sky a beautiful abstract of red and green and blue, the great blue ball of the gas giant glowing above it. "This is. . . nothing. Thank you doctor." I smile, shake the doctor's hand and walk free into the cool night and the lights.