The Voyages of the Penelope and the Yydryl

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Back at LAB.

'Excuse me. A message for you Sir.' A young assistant tapped lightly on the doorframe and called from just outside A.D.A.M's private laboratory.

'It's Dag isn't it?' A deep pleasant voice replied from behind a long table spotted with gleaming tubes and vials, microscopes sporting slides. Dag could just see something dark and black swirling in a beaker perched over a burner the Administrator was in the process of lighting.

'Yes Sir, I'm Dag.' Unfamiliar with the new 'Administrator for Dangerous Aerobe bio-Morphs', Dag remained at the lip of the doorway standing at attention. 'Sir, we've a lead on that missing S.I.L.O Sir.' Dag's voice shook with nerves.

'Go on.' ADAM was familiar with the case, a Self Integrating Life Organism had disappeared from the grounds just prior to Adam's arrival at LAB, but he encouraged young Dag to continue.

'13, Silo13 to be precise Sir. Somehow she escaped...'

'Escaped?' Adam queried, 'Or was taken from LAB?' He interjected the question softly.

'Sir?' Dag's voice cracked Adam's title into a two syllable question.

'Did she escaped of her own free will or is she 'missing'?' It wasn't unheard of for outsiders to steal bio-Morphs to use for unsavory purposes. Investigating just such thefts fell under his job description.

'Sir, her history supports escape. LAB records note many failed attempts on her part to leave LAB when she was very young. Records also contain information about Silo13's participation in off-LAB clandestine 'mud wrestling' Sir.'

'But you've no proof?' ADAM swung his gaze from his desk for the first time, the ever-changing color in his eyes settled on a piercing blue that needled through the assistants presumption like a pin through a bug on a display card.

'No proof of mud wrestling Sir?' Dag asked clearly confused.

'No proof she escaped of her own free will.' Adam rejoined not unkindly.

After a moment the assistant hung his head and replied. 'No Sir, I don't, Sir.' His voice wavered but to his credit the response contained no excuses.

'Continue Dag.' Adam nodded his approval, checked the dreary looking liquid heating in the beaker and went back to studying another slide beneath the lens of his microscope.

'Sir, President Bransom sir...' The youth started.

'Who?' Adam asked feigning ignorance. Inwardly rolling his eyes he knew trouble for what it was, and trouble was never far behind when that Behemoth's name was mentioned. He instantly felt pity for the Silo13, not that pity would influence his job performance in the least.

'Sir, President Bransom. Her eminence sent a communique reporting she's on her way here from the SS Yydryl. She's had some trouble aboard that vessel Sir.'

'What kind of trouble Dag?' Righting himself Adam poked a pair of old fashioned wire rimmed glasses back up his nose and waited patiently as the assistant grew even more discomfited.

'Well Sir. You see Sir. I'd rather not say. Sir. You can read it here in...' Dag tripped over his own feet taking a step toward the Administrator, then back again.

'What kind of trouble Dag?' The question left no room for evasion.

'Sir.' Dag cleared his throat. 'The President was....' Taking a deep breath and looking at a spot far over the Administrators left shoulder Dag blurted out, 'The President was, urinated on Sir.' Regardless of the deep flush that climbed up his thin neck Dag's backbone showed some steel. The assistant held his ground when Adam was sure he wanted to flee.

'Go on.' Adam pursed his lips against a traitorous smile and swallowed his amusement wondering if he'd ever meet the male who performed such an act of heroism. He hoped he would.

'Sir, the President's report includes a description of a young crew member she encountered during her stay aboard the Starship. The Yydryl's Attendant To Ship, Silo13. The Being fits the description of the escaped, errr, the missing Silo13.'

'Do you have the communicator with you Dag?' Masking his surprise, all thoughts of Bransom forgotten, Adam took a step forward, smoothed his hands down the front of his lab jacket and held out one well manicured hand.

'Yes Sir. Right here Sir.' As soon as he handed the communicator over Dag returned to his post outside the doorway.

'Is this the only copy of the communiqué Dag?' Adam pocketed the communicator without looking at it.

'Yes sir.' Dag held Adam's gaze just long enough for the Administrator to be satisfied the statement was truth.

'Make sure of it. And Dag. Keep this between you and I for the time being.' Adam smiled then his eyes changing to a warm brown, clearly calming young Dag, infusing the lad with a newfound loyalty he'd yet to feel for any person of authority at LAB.

'Right Sir.' Dag beamed, owned by that glance.

'Dag, one more thing.' Finger to his forehead Adam pinched his eyebrows together in thought. 'Have an under-attendant ready my things, and secure a small flight craft for my personal use, no pilot, I'll man the stick. I'm leaving for the Yydryl as soon as it can be arranged.' Watching young Dag's shoulders fall Adam realized his error and reissued his command.

'Better yet, it would please me well if you performed these duties yourself.' Adam smiled again watching the lanky youth straighten to his full height glowing with pride.

'Oh yes Sir!' He cried, his voice cracking again. His face a sending mixed messages of joy and imposing seriousness Dag vibrated with readiness and elation.

'And Dag...' Regretfully Adam shot the underling a subliminal strike, a flick of blackness from eyes gone void under drooping lids. That glance, implanting an unspoken command deep in the assistants subconscious would forever remind young Dag to keep all pertinant information to himself, if ever he was tempted, or tortured, to reveal it.

Dag blinked, looked momentarily stunned, shook his hair out of his eyes and responded without another thought. 'Keep this between us Sir?'

"Yes Dag, keep it between us.' Adam replied, his eyes twinkling a soft brown again crinkling at the corners giving a wink of approval.

Encouraged by the wink Dag shuffled from one booted foot to the other and peaking from under a shock of unruly white hair asked what Adam would have been disappointed if the boy hadn't asked.

'Sir, will you'll be needing an assistant and...' His voice trailed off leaving hope behind.

'Good thinking Dag, make that vessel a two-seater, ' He chuckled, 'And make it a fast one.'' Adam smiled his first real smile since arriving at LAB and reached for the vial of coffee happily bubbling away to sludge above it's glowing burner.

'OhThank you Sir!' Dag smiled a brilliant smile from behind his salute, spun a smart about-face and left Adam alone with his thoughts of the missing Being and his cup of joe.

After about 20 minutes or so, BIAD reappeared just as suddenly as he had disappeared, causing nenothtu to do a double-take. When he saw what BIAD held, his eyes got even wider.

An entire suit of clothes.

Neno looked first to the right, then to the left, trying to see around BIAD, who cocked his head to the side in an inquisitive manner, as if to ask "What are you looking for?" Neno replied to the gesture by saying. "I'm just looking for the luggage you pulled those out of..."

Taking the proffered clothing, nenothtu donned the apparel, trying it on for size. Amazingly, it fit, causing neno to wonder how BIAD had sized him up so efficiently. Stretching his arms and legs, and finding that the clothes weren't in the least binding, neno said "fits great. Soft, too. Glad I'm not gonna have to chew on the collar to keep it from gouging my neck, like I have to do with fresh leathers. BIAD, I don't know how you did it, and I'm sort of reluctant to ask, so I'll just say 'thanks'."

Nenothtu picked up the rest of his kit, and said "we ought to move on, put a few miles behind us and find a camp before dark. Let's git", and started off downriver.

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Nenothtu touched the sleeves of his tunic and smiled,
BIAD took that as a good sign and when, the now fully
dressed man, suggested they move on, BIAD nodded
and fell in beside his new friend.

There was little talk as the two made their way through
the forest, the occasional comment came from BIAD as
he pointed out certain edible plants and lichen.
Neno listened and nodded thoughtfully at the eyeless
long-fringed man/girl as they travelled.

Around two hours passed, before they realised the trees
were thinning out and the temperature was dropping too.
Nenothtu started to glimpse swathes of thigh-high grasses
through the gaps in the trees and guessed meadows lay
ahead.

BIAD had seen these prairie meadows before, but only
through the window of a hurtling escape pod and as they
neared the breeze-swaying sea of green, he thought back
to the miraculous episode.

The Freighter had become contaminated with 'Fox Trot'...
the disease that kills any life form after thirty-seven minutes.
Thirty-seven minutes is the longest that any human had been
able to survive, except in that whole time, the individual would
dance the fox trot.
Infected animals prance and twist, fish slam against the glass of
their tanks... but humans dance a feverish fox trot.

As BIAD had clambered his way through the cargo of dried goods
and engineering equipment to avoid the crazily cavorting crew,
he had wondered when he would become infected and felt determined
to fight the disease.

On Level IV, a Midshipman and a Stevedore had seen the high-heeled
wearing human in the short red dress emerge from the cargo hold and
decided to involve BIAD in a three-way fox trot... BIAD was having none
of it.
BIAD felt that flight was the best course of action and focused on
heading for the rear of the ship. The only problem was the titanium
wire that was hanging from the door of the cargo hold.
BIAD tripped on it, banging his head onto a console and fell through
a door that suddenly appeared in the bulkhead.

A nice woman's voice told the confused BIAD that this was an escape
pod and as the two crewmen kicked and punched at the locked pod
door, BIAD considered that he would die dancing alone in deep space.

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The pod jettisoned and the pretty-voiced woman informed BIAD that
all action would be taken to locate an oxygenated planet.
BIAD had sat back in the chair, combed his long red-nailed fingers
through his hair... (he always did this when he was nervous) ... and
waited to see what the fates were to throw at him next.

Nenothtu stepped out into the swaying meadow and looked towards
the waning sun. "We'll camp here, where the grass meets the trees"
he said softly. BIAD wagged his head and thought that the idea made
sense, there seemed to be just longs and longs of flowing prairie grass
ahead of them and the forest provided cover and a better range of food.

"I'll rustle us up some supper, if that's okay with you... Sir?" BIAD asked
and turned to retreat into the woods.
"That'll be fine..." Neno said "... but you can call me Neno... okay?"
BIAD grinned wide and nodded again, then he disappeared into the
oncoming gloom.
'It will be a banquet for my new friend, tonight' BIAD thought as he
scanned the foliage for treats.

[edit on 11-7-2010 by A boy in a dress]

[edit on 2010/7/11 by nenothtu]

After BIAD took to the woods to find dinner, nenothtu set about to start a fire for the evening. Thinking that whatever that was that flamed up so spectacularly last evening would be a grand thing to have a supply of in such situations, he took himself off to the brush to see if he could locate any more.

As he ambled up the game trail looking this way and that in an effort to find more of the same thing, a movement out of the corner of his eye caused him to stop short and peer back up the trail. There, coming down the trail, was a man, who saw neno at about the same time as neno saw HIM.

Since the man kept coming on, neno headed his way to meet him. When they were about 20 feet apart, the other spoke. "Where's he at?"

"Who?" nenothtu replied, still heading toward the man.

"You know who. Your travelling companion, the girly boy. BIAD."

"Who?" neno said, implying that he had no idea what the man was talking about.

"Don't play games with me, fella. You know who I'm talking about. I've been tracking the two of you several hours now, and there ain't no mistaking the tracks he leaves. Give him over. Now."

The phrase "give him over" didn't bode well to neno. He got cautious, but still walked towards the man.

"Whacha need with him?" neno queried.

"Well now, that ain't really none of yer business, but he's mine."

"Yours? Hows that?". By this time neno was about 4 feet or so from the man.

"That's far enough. Don't come any closer, mister." Neno stopped, but leaned slightly back, to create an impression in the man that there was more space than there really was. The other continued. "He mine 'cause I seen him first, that's how." There wasn't a trace of amusement on the man's face. Evidently, he wasn't joking.

Nenothtu smiled. Not the quirky sideways smile of his, but a full, wide, toothsome grin. That wasn't usually a good sign. "Izzat so?" He responded. "You seen him first, and now you own him? Strange slavery customs you folks have around here." He paused, then went on, with his eyes slightly widened. "Hey, that's a grand idea, though! Since I saw YOU first, I own YOU now, right?" While talking, neno had shuffled slightly, turning his left side slightly towards the stranger, and shuffling his left foot slightly ahead of his right. His spear was held diagonally across his body, point up and left, butt down and right, in what would appear to most to be a defensive position.

"Don't be a smartass." the man said. "I'm taking him back in to collect the bounty. He's mine, so give him up, or take your medicine."

That particular turn of phrase didn't set well with nenothtu. His eyes narrowed again as he spoke. "Take my WHAT? Fact is, I have no idea where he is at the moment, but if you want to threaten ME, you'd best be ready to throw down."

The other shrugged and replied "Have it your way, pops", and then made the move neno had been waiting for. He reached towards the small of his back. As soon as nenothtu saw him reach, neno stepped in with his right foot, closing the gap considerably as he leaned forward, and hooked the butt of his spear behind the man's knee, pulling towards himself and upward.

It's a curious fact of physics, and a design flaw in the humanoid body, that when one leg is lifted, balance is adversely effected. As that leg rises above the center of gravity, it will reach a point where the individual will fall flat, like a ton of bricks, as balance is completely lost.

Nenothtu raised the man's leg a considerable distance beyond that point.

The man hit the ground hard enough to nearly leave a crater. at the end of motion, nenothtu's spear butt was high in the air, and the point was low to the ground. With a quick twitch, neno rested the spear point on the man's throat, putting on just enough pressure to make a slight dimpling, and let the other know just who was in charge now.

Then he spoke to the man conversationally. "Tell you what. I'm in a pretty good mood today, so I've a mind to let you live. We'll just keep going thisaway, and you git BACK thataway, just as fast as you can go, and we'll all live happily ever after. How 'bout it?"

The man glared at neno, who saw his shoulder bunching up to try to pull his arm - and whatever was in his hand - out from under him. "Ah Ah AH! You make me jump, all my weight might go down onto this sharp stick of mine, and you'd be no better for the wear. You best lay still..."

The man continued glaring, and said "Your life ain't worth spit now. I'll find you, wherever you go, and make this even. There ain't no rock big enough nor hole deep enough to hide you from me. I'll find you and END you, old man!"

Nenothtu grinned that toothy grin again. "WRONG answer, bub. That wasn't what I wanted to hear at all. I'll be damned if I'm gonna spend the rest of my time here looking over my shoulder for the likes of you. THIS ends it" and he romped down all his weight on the spear, driving it through the man's neck and into the ground, pinning him to it like a bug on a pin in a collection.

The man struggled, squirmed, twitched, and gurgled for a few moments, until all the life drained out of his neck. At that point, nenothtu stepped on his head and pulled the spear back out.

"Defiance is nice and brave and all, but you shoulda chose life today" he said to the corpse, grabbing it by the collar to drag it off the trail and several yards into the woods. Once he found a slight depression to deposit it in, nenothtu stripped it for useful items. It wasn't the first time he'd ever resupplied from dead enemies. The shirt and sleeveless jerkin were both useless, covered in blood as the upper part of them were. He took the pants, the boots, the belt and everything on it, netting a knife, a pistol of some sort, and a leather bag of coins.

"Ha. Got me some steel now" he observed as he covered the body with branches and leaves. Tying the plunder into a bundle with the belt, neno went into the woods, continuing his quest. When he found the fire material, he gathered a fair amount of it and went back to camp, taking the bundle of plunder with him.

Nenothtu never even glanced back at where the body was hidden.

'Sir?' Dag called from the corridor, stopped in the doorway.

'Come on in Dag.' Adam smiled and waved the assistant into his personal quarters while he finished packing his flight bag.

'Sir,' Dag made no move from his post at the door, 'Sir, I just got word your, I mean our jig is ready and has been cleared for flight Sir.' The excitement in Dag's voice carried across the room and made Adams fingers tingle. It was going to be good to fly again Adam thought catching the youngsters enthusiasm without much protest. 'Ok kid, let's get going.' Adam closed his bag, an antique leather duffle that had seen better years, and strode across the room.

Changed from his LAB uniform to casual attire Adam looked resplendent sporting a soft pair of knee high boots, dark tight leggings, a flowing white top opened at his neck, slashed arms tight at the wrists, it's only adornment a long piece of woven fiber lacing the font loosely together. Striding from his apartment Adam felt freer than he had in a long time. Closing his door, arming the locking device Adam let Dag take the lead, and didn't bother looking back.

'You look...beyond normal Sir.' Dag, eyes directed straight ahead glowed with what Adam feared was turning into a bad case of Hero worship.

'I'll take that as a compliment Dag.' Adam chuckled at the boys enthusiasm once more.

'Sir...' The tall lanky youth hesitated, clearly not sure how to proceed. 'Sir, I've not got any other...clothes Sir. Will these be...alright Sir?' Clearly hoping they would not Dag gave an offhanded flip of his wrist indicating at once his drab LAB uniform, and his disdain for it.

'I already thought of that. We'll get you outfitted on the way to the Yydryl.' Adam offered. 'We've got some stops to make.' Sure to enjoy Dag's reaction to his next statement Adam smiled. 'I want to go by and investigate the place where the Silo13 was...'

'Mud Wrestling Sir?' Dag's voice squeaked with it's now familiar crack and bubbled with more joy than he could possibly contain.

'Yes Dag, exactly.' Adam laughed outright, pleased with his sidekicks reaction.

Breaking free from the staff residential area into the open zones spread out between buildings Adam was a boy again feeling the heady excitement of a warm afternoon playing hooky from daily instructions. His teeth showing white behind a pair of generous full lips Adam smiled a wide smile.
The dark shadow falling over the path caused Adam to look up, his feeling of exuberance short lived.
Bransom. Those could only be her vessels approaching overhead.

Adam's stomach went hollow, the courtyard closing in on him. Damn! He prided himself on few things, but one he held most dear? His personal courage. Hell, he hadn't backed down from a confrontation since he was 4! But after the Presidents humiliation aboard the Bio-Ship Yydryl? He wouldn't mind it if he and the Kid just happened to miss the Presidents arrival at LAB.

'Dag, those incoming vessels,' Adam indicated the vehicles overhead with a lift of his shoulder, 'they wouldn't happen to be....'

"The Presidents envoy? Yes Sir, they are that Sir.' Dag's steps quickened.

Just his luck he thought with a grimace. 'Dag, our jig, you said she's ready and waiting to fly right?' Adam, feeling the hot breath of fate breathing down his neck picked up his pace to match Dag's who was as close to a run as the boy could get without breaking stride.

"Yes Sir! She is Sir!' Dag's quick reply put wings to both their feet as they broke into a shuffling run.

Rounding the last curve to the air field the pair flattened themselves to the wall unwilling to move into the open calling attention to themselves.
From where they stood now it became only a matter of moments before they came face to face with President Bransom who even as they watched was exiting the forward most craft that had barely hovered to a stop above the tarmac.

'Dag, I don't suppose there's...'

'Another way into the main hanger?' Dag supplied and Adam nodded.

Hesitating only briefly, the sound of Bransom's voice clearly making up his mind for him Dag's eyes rounded as they met Adams and said, 'Yes Sir, this way Sir.' Crouching low they backtracked their path heading away from the irate President escaping none too soon, Bransom's voice had reached fever pitch and was on the rise.

Leading Adam past the covered reception area Dag ducked out of sight behind the rows of refuse bins standing at attention along the wall behind the hanger.

Following hard on his heels none the less Adam froze before ducking through a hidden door Dag held open, it's disrepair attesting to it's lack of use.

'Dag?' He let the question, and the rebuke hang between them.

'This way Sir' Dag indicating the opening pretending at confusion the color climbing up his face gave away.

'Dag, when were you going to tell me about this door?' Adam nodded his chin to the opening Dag had yet to enter.

'When Sir?' Dag stuttered and balked.

Adam pointedly raised an elegant sooty eyebrow and waited.

"I was going to tell you Sir.' Dag whispered harshly, 'I was going to tell you as soon as we took off in the jig. Sir.' Dag spoke, his chin notched into his shoulder with a defiance Adam would have to examine later.

'Did you ever think this might be the way that Silo13 got out, or was taken from LAB?' Adam asked softly.

'No Sir...'

'No? ' Adam replied in disbelief.

'No Sir. I know it is.'


[edit on 15-7-2010 by silo13]

MEANWHILE

In a universe very different, far away


...A battle was raging fiercely between a ship filled with humans against an old foe of theirs: Xyclosians. The xyclosians were made long before mankind was out of the stone age. 50,000 years ago their species stole human DNA from primitive Earth and used to engineer super soldiers to fight a major war. After the war, the super soldiers ended the empire. You can see why they would hate humans when they finally got into space themselves. Some have joined these humans, some have not.

"CAPTAIN! two Xyclosian frigates, both sides of us. We're being boxed in sir!" yelled a young pilot of the ship. He was already making a 90 degree barrel roll so the strongest armor faced them.

Captain David Gorshkov of the Abraham yelled out in a defiant series of commands " Charge up the mass accelerator, get our main gun up and show 'em our teeth. Direct that laser to ship bellow us! ENGINEERING! Get the bloody shields up!"

The Abraham began gathering up the gravity generators on her and reading for her renowned speed and maneuverability. One Xyclosian ship was over 10X its own size, but the Abraham still packed a punch.

"Captain!" yelled engineering on the comm "grav gens are up, ready to go"

The captain yelled "Stevens! get this bird moving"

"Eye sir!"

Just then, Stevens, pressed the blast button, and countless matter and antimatter particles came storming down a gauss gun from two offset angles, coming into contact and exploding in furry, projecting the ship into a massive acceleration boost. The forward gravity generator came on line at that moment, and suddenly the ship gained enough "fake mass" to use the mass accelerator.

"Give 'em a go ahead" yelled the captain.

At that moment, the main gun fired 2,200 Kg of Lead ionic plasma. The liquid metal shot into the forward gravity chamber and its velocity with the gravity caused it to gain speeds up to 90% the speed of light. Then Stevens set the ship down the main vector of the ship bellow them and after several laser blasts, and a boost to back shielding, they were ready.

"Fire!" yelled the Captain. "FIRE!" came from engineering "FIRE reached the main gun operator, and at that moment, it was off.

In less than a second, the main gun unleashed 606.7 billion Newtons hit the top of the xyclosian warship, ripping that part of it to shreds. The ship then strengthened its right gravity generator and made a massive turn in that direction as gravity prevented that side of the ship from moving but the rest still did. With a use of all Gravity generators, the ship resisted the g force that would otherwise kill them. Now, headed in at full speed towards the second one.

"Fire torpedoes and get out of here." exclaimed the captain

The ship fired her torpedoes and made a quick gravity-generated turn back for the other ship. She fired another seres from the back torpedoes and quickly headed down.

However, something happened not prepared for. The xyclosian ship above them made a pass at them while they were getting ready to fire at the blasted xyclosian ship. The xyclosian ship fired her own plasma round at her.




Luck would have it that the plasma blast hit the main plate over her anti matter chambers. Strongest armor on her. Fearful of a crippling blast down her thrusters, the captain ordered as much shielding to the back.

"Get me that dang shielding son. Pipe the particles and bring out the hot stuff!"-yelled Gorshkov

Engineering emptied out a 5th of their hydrogen reserves and the EM field generator rotated so that they piled up around the engines. The lasers then plasmatized it and the back end could now resist a fire to the thrusters.

The captain yelled, "Doctor, I think its time we begin this experiment."

"Eye Captain, we just need a few more seconds"

"Get it done doc."

The conversation was on the new wormhole technology that they were experimenting on. They had entangled particles and hoped that they could generate a kind of wormhole-Stargate system. Unfortunately, this technology was based on stolen parts from a Xyclosian research base, and now they were getting out of doge before the real forces showed up.

A transmission came from the Science officer: "ready captai...."

Suddenly another blast came and hit the ship where it hurts, throwing her off course. The red activation light turned on, and the captain didn't give a damn about what was happening. Smoke was filling the bridge and it was time to leave!

"Hit it Stevens!"



Stevens hit the holographic button, and the entangled particles were shot out of the gravity generators through a bipolar singularity weapon. This horrid device had two singularities spinning in opposite directions on each end of the torpedo at incredible speeds, ripping apart space time.

The Captain yelled out "pop the cork and lets get outta here"

Suddenly the ship jettisoned some parts, allowing for more powerful weapons to be dispatched and fire a massive amount of energy into the rupture of space time. At the same time, the entangled molecules were injected with antimatter, causing their destruction, and in turn, destruction of their counterparts to form a Stargate.



The rupture through space time began, and the ship began to fly straight into it.





The slammed through it and closed it off, getting out of that area.

After some time, they came to realize something was wrong.

"Sir", asked Stevens, "whe...where's the base?"

The captain angrily stated, "Oh don't you dare tell me those sta..."

"The stars are our of place, sir", said Stevens in a monotoned annoyed voice

"greeeaaat...."

Stevens suddenly saw something on the scanners

"Sir, contacts dead ahead, and a planet"

"What do we have?"

"Looks like... some sort of convoy, sir. Planet looks pretty forested. I'm also reading a ship on the planet, next to a large facility possibly."

"What kind of ships are they?"

"reading.... Uh.... These are...not exactly anything we've seen before."

"what do you mean?"

"Sir... according to this, we're very close to home, but I'm not reading anything familiar beyond the stars. According to our records, this planet should have a research team investigating ruins of ancient Xyclosians. But I'm reading no signals like that of Earth"

"This is not looking good"

"Sir I just got another read out on the stars. They're there alright, but not perfectly"

"oh?"

"According to this... it's not the year 2085 anymore. I mean, we could be off, but we're a few centuries off"

"That's just adding to the loveliness of being guinea pig for the Doc. Just great Stevens. Tell me some more bad news!"


"Sir, the convoy is hailing us, and they're temperature readings are raising. maybe weapons charging."

The captain did a facepalm and knew the crap had hit the fan.

"Sir... where are we?"

"You're the navigator Stevens. Sigh. Let's go talk to our new friends, eh?"

"eye sir. Attempting to read channel format and respond.







[edit on 16-7-2010 by Gorman91]

[edit on 16-7-2010 by Gorman91]

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The large Kulu leaf lay on the forest floor with around
ten shiny mushrooms, three early-season Nut Gourds
and some Hedge lettuce thrown in as a extra treat.
These foraged foods were left undisturbed as BIAD
pondered on what he had just witnessed.

The bounty hunter had tracked him, and that fact was
something BIAD would return to with a venom. The man/girl
prided himself on his ability to stay hidden and that booze-
sodden trail tramp had somehow tracked him this far, BIAD
grimaced as he squatted among the undergrowth.

The second concern was how his new acquaintance had
quickly dispatched the tracker and from what BIAD had seen,
Nenothtu didn't hold any qualms with sending off folk to the
'other-side'
BIAD sighed and wondered about his future.

The man who had tracked him and now, lay face down under
some branches, was called Barclay, one of the Greenhorn
gang from the Narg village.
He and his crew had considered themselves Clansman, or as
they say in some parts, enforcement officers for their area and
they dealt with strangers -such as BIAD, in a harsh fashion.

The hermaphrodite shuffled over to where the food was laid and
picked the curling leaf up, it would be prudent to get back to the
camp.

As BIAD scanned the forest for any other delicacies, he wondered
what Neno might say... if anything.

A faint glow appeared as BIAD neared the edge of the wood and
shaking the worrying thoughts from his head, BIAD walked onto
the grassland with a tight smile on his eyeless face.

[edit on 16-7-2010 by A boy in a dress]

When neno got back to camp, he tossed the bundle of former brigand possessions to the side. No need to try to hide it from BIAD, and he figured that trying to hide it would be counter productive, any way. Folks lose trust when they think your hiding something, and trust was what needed to be developed here, not lost. Certainly the kill was nothing to brag about, and neno had no intention of even bringing it up, but he expected there would be questions to be answered when BIAD saw the bundle.

Bending to the work of starting a fire, neno scraped out a shallow pit for it, arranged the tinder, and dropped the fire coal into the tinder. He was better prepared this time, knowing to expect a flareup. He got a piece of hollow reed, about a foot and a half long for standoff distance, and blew on the coal with that. The tinder flared up immediately, and this time didn't singe his eyebrows.

Nenothtu arranged the gathered firewood on the budding blaze to get a small fire going, and squatted back on his haunches to await BIAD's arrival. He hoped there wouldn't be anything that needed to be cooked. Neno HATED eating his own cooking, and couldn't imagine that anyone else would like it, either.

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"I hope you like Nut Gourds?" BIAD said softly as he noisily
tramped out of the forest towards the fire, the sun was quickly
racing west.
Nenothtu looked up from his contemplation of the flames and
licked his lips to show he was content with BIAD's findings.

BIAD sat down near the campfire and quickly adjusted the
short hem of his dress while handing the large leaf of food
to Neno, the event of the killing hung in the air.

Nenothtu halved the food with the side of his hand and offered
the leaf back, BIAD shook his permo-wig and put a long nailed
hand palm-up.
"I'm not hungry... in fact, I barely eat at all" the hermaphrodite
chided. Neno's eyes searched the half-hidden face for any clue
of self-sacrifice or cunning, BIAD's face glowed back a grinning
embarrassed honesty.

The purple sky promised a cloudless night sky and BIAD could
see the pin pricks of light from 'Old Silver' and 'The Great Mother'
Neno tucked into the supper, so BIAD sat quietly and waited.

BIAD's creator had always advised that 'truth was best' so
the man/girl decided to ask about the slaying... it looked like Neno
wasn't going to bring it up.

"I heard voices earlier and came close to see if you were okay..."
BIAD's voice was level and light, "... I saw what, er... happened"
Neno had stopped eating was regarding the strange creature
across the campfire with a look of concern.
BIAD eyed the bundle next to Neno and kept the smile broad,
"All I'll say is thank you... I owe you my life" the man/girl whispered.

Neno placed a mushroom into his mouth and nodded "you don't
owe me anything mister" he hissed around his food and winked,
BIAD nodded back.

Time sat with them in the evening silence and the two men swam
in their own thoughts, the velvet sky poured over the strange duo.

"May I ask..." BIAD coughed to clear his throat "... the amulet around
your neck, is it what I think it is?" BIAD kept the tone light again and
recalled the body under the leaf litter.
Neno grinned and set aside the bare Kulu leaf, "and what do you think
it is" he challenged amiably, the toothy grin held BIAD's attention.

Nenothtu felt the ache of a fading bruise as he plucked the blue bauble
from out of the neck of his vest and dangled it in front of his face.
"This...?" he whispered softly "... this trinket. What do you think it can
do?" the flames made the sphere look like a broiling sun.

BIAD shrugged his narrow shoulders and the strap of his dress fell
onto his bicep, "I was hoping it could get us off this planet" BIAD's
best smile followed the statement.
Neno stared across the campfire at the man/girl and contemplated
what this strange creature had just said.

[edit on 17-7-2010 by A boy in a dress]

'Apologize to Bransom! Are you completely deranged?!' Silo threw her hand held communicator at the wall.
It stuck.
'Oh whyyyy did I have to get shanghaied onto a bio-Ship!' She howled in frustration retrieving the recorder and secretly relieved it hadn't smashed into a million pieces.

'Silo, don't be difficult. We all have to apologize.' Ship pointed out.

'Who's being difficult!' Silo whirled in complete exasperation to address the Yydryl in her viewing screen.

When speaking with Ship even though she couldn't 'see' who she was talking to she could see the Yydryl in her monitor which was as good a place to aim her anger as she had.


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'Ship, I said no apology! Not after the way she treated Chumley!' Silo shouted again, her irritation eased not a whit.

'Well Chumley's looking forward to it if truth be known.' Blistering under Silo's rebellion Ship replied calmer than she felt.

'Chumley's twisted. He'd never forgive you if you didn't reprimand him? How weird is that'

'Actually it's quite normal Silo.' Ship said, regretting her words as soon as they were out.

'Well far be it from me to understand that concept.' Sarcasm tipped to anger tinged with hurt.

Their back and forth sparing was growing into something beyond spats of cynicism. Ship didn't like it, but, she couldn't back down. Maybe Silo needed a reprimand herself.

'Silo, be reasonable. We royally pissed of the President. Now maybe you can live with that, but I can't. So, I'm telling you, not asking you this time. Record an apology and send it to Bransom before the hour is out. End of discussion.'

Hearing the command Silo went still, her frustration confined to trembling hands. Eye stalks lowering to disappear into her shaggy violet mane Silo collected herself with a composure that belied her anger.

'Yes Mam.' Silo replied gently and thoughtfully all sarcasm gone.

Ship wasn't relieved. She found herself wishing Silo would try to break something again. But she didn't, she walked carefully to her bed and dumped the contents of her backpack in a pile to begin patiently, methodically sorting through her things for the second time that day.

'You're going then?' Ship asked.

'Yes' Silo replied simply. 'You'll make sure Chumley concentrates on fixing the Recovery Bay and the Hydroponics rooms.' It was a statement, almost an order.

'As part of his reprimand? Yes. And Carpet will be in charge of Deez and overseeing the working droids.'

Silo's only response was a curt nod of agreement.

'Would you like me to send Carpet or Chumley in when I go?' Ship's voice softened trying to bridge the gap, offer peace.

'No, thank you.' Pointedly dropping her eyes from the view screen and back to her bed formed Silo's rebuke. That she said no more confirmed it.

Without a word Silo turned her back on the viewing screen with it's vision of the Yydryl. Their roles had neatly been reversed. Ship had been dismissed.

With goodbyes unsaid, wishes for a quick return left unspoken, hopes for personal safety never shared Ship left Silo to herself and without the usual façade of opening and closing the door to her quarters on her way out.

'Damn her!' Ship thought not knowing if the expletive was directed at President Bransom or Attendant to Ship Silo or both.

~ * ~ continued ~ * ~

[edit on 18-7-2010 by silo13]

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

After entering a prerecorded apology tract cut from the Federation rule book into her personal communicator and turning it over for posting by a transmissions droid Silo left the service deck and headed to the Armory.

'Deson, you here?' Silo called as she passed through the mechanics hanger just off the flight deck causing working droids to spin in place and motion her to a small Star Sprint tucked in between and dwarfed by two Deson Fighters.

'Over here Lass,' He called, Silo followed his voice.

'What you working on the Sprint for Deson?' Silo addressed her remark to the Armor's horse like back-end, his frond end was tucked up under the little flying craft the top part of his torso hidden by the drop-down door access to it's motor.

'Why Lass I thought you'd be needing something to use until President Bransom cooled down.' Deson replied without coming out from under the machine.

'How'd you know I wouldn't be going to CindyMars cabin?' Silo wondered out loud moving her backpack to her other shoulder.

'I didn't.' He chuckled, 'until now.' Ducking out from under the craft Deson left working droids to the task of closing up the Star Sprint. Backing away from the neat little flyer and the whir of hand tools Silo followed Deson to his office in silence.

'So, now you'll be telling me where you're headed Lass.' Deson commanded to Silo's complete surprise once the doors between his work room and the mechanics bay were firmly closed. 'You've got to tell somebody, and that somebody is me.' Deson finished before she could open her mouth.

'Deson, I'm not...' Silo tried, her palms turned bottoms up.

'You're going to tell me Lass, or you'll not be leaving this office.' He looked half teasing, but Silo knew he was completely serious. 'You'll not be telling Chumley who couldn't keep a secret for life's sake and you've given no word to your furry friend Carpet, so you're here to tell Deson, isn't that so?' Deson's eyes sparkled, his horsey smile propped open by big square teeth.

'Carpet was complaining to you?' She stalled.

'My conversation with Carpet has no business being retold here as-you-well-know. Now, stop stalling and tell your old friend what you're up to.' Deson looked down his long face at Silo his eyes gone wide and sad his hands absently wiping at a bit of rag in his hands.

'I'm going after The Neno.' She blurted never being able to resist his calf-eyed look. 'Hhe needs help. Flustered by the turn of events Silo sounded defensive but felt better telling Deson what she'd been holding to herself since her confrontation with Ship.

'Neno? That human? The last thing he'll be needing is your help, not when you need to be helping yourself. Now listen to me and put your wee bullhorns back in your head' Deson indicated Silo's eyestalks by pointing and wiggling his fingers.

'Silo, I want ye ta take the Sprint. And I mean take it.' At Silos look of confusion he continued.
'I know ya don't fly Lass, but it's goin' past time ye learned and I've just now finished installing a teaching pilot up under her hood so now's the time.' He grinned and continued.

'Now, once you're out there,' Deson motioned to his view screen monitoring space beyond the Yydryl, 'have some fun. Burn off some of that frustration boiling beneath yer breastbone.' Deson leaned forward and poked her chest. 'I've even seen to load some of that Earthy music from discs CindyMars let me copy from her personal collection.'

Brightening Silo listened closer warming to the idea.

'Then, after a little fun, open this.' Deson dug into his long mechanics coat pocket, his hand reappeared with a small oval shape held in his upturned palm. Silo took the object, her face turned back to Deson in question.

'It's a distress beacon. But one with a twist. Once you're ready to go you'll leave it in the Sprint and the auto-will begin to search for you just like filly who's bucked her rider.' Deson looked pleased with himself, and was.

'But I'll be right there...' Silo stopped as Deson rose his hand and pinned his ears for silence.

'You'll be headed for the Center is where you'll be.' Deson smiled at her perplexed frown. 'And you'll be getting there using this.' From under the worktable Deson pulled a package similar to her backpack yet this was affixed with an oxygen canister, bio-flex mask and two thrust rockets.

'That heifer Bransom, she's too arrogant to believe the Yydryl would keep you aboard. We'll use that to our advantage.'

'But how?' She asked.

'Once you get out beyond the Yydryl's a bit activate the beacon and jump. And don't worry about reentry into the Center, I've got that all under control.' Deson assured her coming around to her side of the table to place his hand on her shoulder. 'You get yourself to Center, hide out for a while and in another month or so when things calm down I'll come get ye.' Deson's eyes, gone serious touched Silo deeply.

'What about. telling them...' Her throat clogged with emotion.

'Ohhh now therethere' Deson crooned and pulled Silo into a un-Deson like hug. 'You can't tell them Silo girl. Not a one of them. And no one can force me to tell where you are, my race is immune to interrogation.' Deson chuckled and put Silo from him.

'You'll be fine. If it's going to be longer than a while,' Deson added, his eyes darting to and away from the slight paunch at Silo's middle, 'I'll send you a supply drop.'

'How will you know where I am...' She asked sadly knowing her departure was immanent.

'I'll know where you are, but Silo, Ship can't know. Especially with you deep in her Center.' Deson's gaze traveled and stuck to the pendant draped around Silo's throat. 'You'll have to give me the Green Man Silo.' Deson having come to the glitch in his plan waited to see if she'd take.

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'My Green Man?' Silo whispered in disbelief her knuckles going white around the pendant she'd reached to clutch in her fingers.

'Yes Lass,' Deson quieted, 'You'll have to give it up...' Deson met her eyes in an unblinking stare, soft and understanding but unyielding at once.

Chin to her chest, one hand holding her hair out of the way Silo gently eased Ship's pendant from around her neck,.

'What will happen to me without it Deson?' Silo asked, afraid to let the pendant beyond her touch.

"You'll be free.' Deson put simply, nodding once.

"And the Sprint?' Silo already liked the little craft and didn't like thinking it would end up space junk.

'Ohh you mean after the initial beacon transmission alerts Ship you've gone missing?' Deson raised his brows and gave an exaggerated wink.

Silo nodded her fingers still wrapped tightly around her most prized possession and her only connection to Ship.

'I've programmed the Sprint to go looking for The Neno.' Deson smiled as the instant joy radiating from Silo's face at the news.

'Oh thank you Deson! Thank You!' Silo choked against his shoulder before pulling away sheepishly.

Deson gave her a few basic instructions while fixing the para-rocket to her back, adjusting it's straps and brackets before pulling the 'fuse' rod that molded the whole contraption to Silo's body ensuring it wouldn't come off mid-flight.
Taking up her backpack Deson quickly attached it to the para-rocket leaving her hands free.

'You're ready then lass...' He said truly sad now the time had arrived. 'You'll have to make it quick Silo.'

Nothing left to say Silo stared at her Green Man for the last time and leaned past Deson to abandon the pendant atop his workbench where it began to pulse brightly and give off a faint mewling sound.

Unable to watch any longer Silo turned and ran for the Sprint, and freedom.

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edit by request

[edit on 19/7/10 by masqua]

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Cim erected the shield about 2 longs circumference of the village. Elowho gently took her hand and sat her down, as she was a bit wobbly on her feet. “Thank you dear one, those Nargs can be very bad elves!” he said with a bit of humor in his voice. Cim thought he was not terribly worried about the Nargs. I have sent Forlarn and a few others out to bring your friends back here.”

“My friends?” she ask, thinking who was he calling her friends in this world. “I do not believe I have any friends in this world, yet!” she smiled as she looked up at the Elowho.

“I believe that they are your friends, at least the human, I recognize him from the description in your book.” He taps the book with his pipe. “Can’t wait to read about me and my lot!” he raises his pipe to her.

“I thought you said that I caused great harm by profiting from the future and the past?”

“No, I said that it was reckless” Elowho taps the used tobacco from his pipe, looks up and smiles.

“This world and time space we exist in will not be affected by the future destruction on the Earth planet but was your kind that caused this to happen on Mars long ago.” He reaches out and places both hands on her temples.

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You know a very bad traveler named Revandah, caused that catastrophe, and I am nothing like him” she protested.

“Yes but what were his intentions, what are yours?” says Elowho says tugging at his very long beard.

“My intentions are to live life with gusto and to look for ways to prevent what has already happened, to save the Earth, that I love!” She says rather emphatically.

“You’re are good, I know this but you cannot mess with history, it will just cause waves and waves of events which should have never been. Just move on with your life ShaRA.”

“Please stop calling me by that name. I am called Cim now. Only my beloved family who I am ostracized from may call me by that name.”

“As you wish Cim, I am going to release you now and lets have some tea and cakes, while we await the arrival of your friends.” He summons someone to bring in the aromatic tea and lovely cakes.

“Then you may all go back through the portal and Cim, do behave. Now poor and old elf a cup.” he gestures and fires up his pipe again.




[edit on 26-7-2010 by cindymars]

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Nenothtu fingered the trinket that hung from his neck and looked at
the wig-wearing creature across the campfire. The stars looked down
at the lonesome pair and waited... with us, for what may happen next.

BIAD hummed quietly to himself and occasionally tossed a small
branch into the flames, Neno finished off the meal and waited too.

As a cool breeze started up, that made the grasses around them
swirl and eddy like small waves at sea, BIAD cleared his throat and
asked Neno where he was from.
BIAD had been mulling over this question in his head and wondered
if would be too invasive. He had a friend... a fellow traveller and didn't
wish to ruin the easy nature that sat between them.
Neno had also saved him from the bounty hunter and that was a favour
owed.

As he thought this, a memory fluttered by of the time he had first met
Mr. Death. BIAD smiled into the breeze-dancing flames as the memory
bloomed in his mind.

"You're Mr. Death" BIAD had said and prepared himself to fight. The tall
being that stood before the man/girl agreed by nodding, the dark
hood moved only a little.

It had been Hallows' end and the street party that hooted and screamed
around them had moved off towards the main thoroughfares,
Grand Banks liked it's parties.
BIAD had been passing through, looking to chance a ride off the planet
and find out more about the so-called 'Shadow Diamond'

The Shadow Diamond... if the tale is to be believed, is a rare crystal that
can supposedly take you back and forward in time. BIAD had spent many
sleepless nights conjuring with a plan to go back through time and
somehow save his Creator.
The stone could be real... the tale could be true and BIAD could be
with his Creator again.
These thoughts flew away on the tide of the street party's merriment
as BIAD turned the corner and saw the tall dark shape waiting for him.

"And you are the Boy In A Dress" the deep-timbre voice reported
and BIAD imagined this creature reading out names in a fiery hall as
lost souls would wander past with the heads lowered.

The famed creature of the Old Book folded his arms and moved
closer to BIAD... he seemed interested in the hermaphrodite.
"So, your thoughts will be running along the lines of how am I going
to take your soul.... yes?" The long cloak that fluttered and flapped in
the litter of tissue bunting and discarded paper masks, seemed to be
alive and the man/girl took a high-heeled step backwards.

For the few seconds that the two sized each other up, BIAD imagined
broomsticks tied together and wrapped in black sacking, he thought
of playing cards falling from the long sleeves of Mr. Death... all of them
the Ace of Spades.
He smelled the dryness of a girl's hair that lay in a remote bog on
some wild moor, he glanced images of sallow-skinned sailors pounding
their kelp- wrapped fists on some sunken hull far out at sea and he
heard the weeping of a young soldier in an hospital bed... as this
long shadow spread across the neatly-folded white sheets.

"I have a quest, Mr. Death and I'll not be denied it" BIAD said quietly,
the loud bangs and whistles from the party had faded and now except
for the creaking tavern sign across the street, all was peaceful again.

The darkness in the cowl gave nothing away and the hermaphrodite
waited to battle for his future, he knew only a little of his own powers
and he had guessed that it was doubtful that he would actually be
immortal too. The Creator had given him many gifts, but surely that
one would be out of even his reach.

"It's not you I seek -my child and I'll not be tricked into giving away
the answer to that question" Mr. Death hissed. The seven-foot tall
cloak shimmered for a second and then seemed to settle like a pile
of dozing snakes. If BIAD had eyebrows, they would have lifted, the
thought had been fleeting, yet this denizen of the Otherworld had
caught it like a winter-sluggish butterfly.

"We both have quests..." the shadow-of shadows continued "... the
one I endure gives off the dull lustre of magma roiling in some deep
ocean, compared to yours" BIAD struggled to see the meaning, but
it was like trying to read Pheolist script from his schooling with his
Creator.
"Then why are you here?" the man/girl asked, he stepped closer
without realising, the blackness of Death's hood beckoned.

"I have matters here and our meeting is merely a coincidence.
For the inhabitants of these planets, I pass without their knowing"
Mr. Death tilted his head dog-like at the same time BIAD tilted his.
"But you... you're different, you recognised me.... may I inquire
why?" the words were edged with a dark humour and again BIAD
struggled to follow the line of Death's questioning.

"I don't know... a guy in a..." BIAD waved his hand and the black drab
cassock, "... and the feeling that I knew you" BIAD voice wavered
and faded as a thought suddenly struck him.

Then the cowl moved, the hood rose and a laughing roared out into
the street, BIAD stepped backwards from the quivering shape as he
gazed at the mirth-ridden Mr. Death. The sound was deafening and
BIAD put his hands over his wig-hidden ears to stifle the painful sound.

As the low-throated laughter filled the air, and BIAD cowered on the
sidewalk, the thought that had caused Mr. Death to feel, what BAID
assumed was happiness, swam salmon-like through his mind again.

BIAD gave it utterance into the cacophony of laughter and yelled
"WE'RE BROTHERS... WE ARE, WE ARE THE SAME" As the last word
was said, the laughter stopped, like the flicking of a switch, it stopped
and the street was silent again.

Mr. Death still stood with his arms folded and the last few seconds
seemed to belong to another time.
"Yes, we are..." the keeper of souls whispered "... but you are the
fortunate one of... of the family" A slight chuckle threatened to appear
again, but it fled off into the night.
"For why our paths have crossed at this juncture, I am at a loss
-little brother, but now you know that you are not alone" The deep voice
patted BIAD's mind and he felt the urge to sit down and sleep.

Mr. Death finished his statement with: "I will grant you a boon... a wish
that will assist you on your way"
BIAD raised his head, the sudden tiredness had lured and warmed him
to think slowly, he looked over to where Mr. Death stood.
But all that remained were the staring holes of a harlequin mask and a
crumpled ticket to 'Carlo's' laying on the sidewalk.

BIAD stumbled off towards Creole Station and in his haze, he tried
to make sense of what had happened.
Has he neared the large grey building a large rocket blasted into
the night sky, bound for god-knows-where BIAD thought and a grimace
surfaced on his red-lipped mouth.

That's when Captain Birch had shown up and asked if BIAD could
'second-mate' on his freighter. The white-bearded man in the
dark-green uniform was in need of someone to help him take his ship
to Kramer Nine in the Orion system and BIAD signed on straight away.

Kramer Nine was where the last snippet of gossip BIAD had heard, had
mentioned where The Shadow Diamond had been seen... BIAD wrote
his name in the ledger and smiled to himself has he did it.

As the huge ship fired all it's burners to heave itself into the sky,
BIAD peered out of the dirty window and mouthed the words...
"thank you brother"

'Sir, I'll go ahead and fire up the PF.' Dag shuffled anxiously from foot to foot but stilled under Adam's firm grip on his arm.

'Translation please?' Adam's eyebrows rose.

'Oh, well, um, the PF? That's 'Personal Flyer' Sir.' Dag beamed. 'She's the little red one over in the front line Sir.'
Dag pointed in the direction he wanted Adam to look and in doing so broke the older mans' hold on his arm. Without waiting for confirmation the boy shot away from Adam making a beeline for a sweet little trick of a 'PF' sparkling red as an Earth cherry.

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'Well, the boy has good taste...' Adam chuckled under his breath and hearing someone approaching ducked between the corner of the outbuilding and a large leafing palm growing in the last bit of natural green just where the tarmac took over.

'Come on men we're back to the fighter.' Adam heard a voice used to being obeyed. 'There's an unidentified craft out there and it's refusing to respond to communiques.'
'The Voice' dropped his arm and turned to address two other pilots who paused before Adam's hiding place.

'Awww Captain but we just got here!' The shortest of the trio whined nasally. 'You're sayin we gots'ta go up again without even a stiff drink an a piss? What's wrong with the boys she's got flying now Cap'n?' Ringing a finger around the stiff collar of his parade uniform 'Shorty' dropped his hand and shot his cuffs in disgust.

'They're not sayin.' The Captain sighed and shielding his eyes looked up into the sky. 'Come on men, we're ordered back to wing and to get it up quick and hard.'

'Sounds like orders from my Mrs.' The third flier piped up wiggling his eyebrows and giving a ribald chortle.

'Yeahhhh, when she'd talkin' to me mate' Shorty rejoined and ducked a punch aimed his way.

The duo shadow boxed until their Captain, his shoulders weighed down by multiple braids and stars, waved the bantering pair to attention and spoke into a communications device strapped to his wrist.

'Orders received LAB-Com, we'll be in the sky in 3.' Without lowering his arm the Officer continued. 'LAB, you're sure this command comes straight from the ol' Bat...' Stumbling on the insult a dull blush crept up his neck to cast a bloom over his face.

'Eye that Captain.' Came the hard response from the communicator, 'On President Bransom's orders Sir.' The President in questions screaming could be heard streaming through the LAB-Coms microphone before the transmission was cut.

'Figures she'd be standing right there.' The Officer chuckled away and rubbed his fingers through his hair at his wingmen who were near to hysterics. 'Come on you jokers we'd better hop-to lads before 'Herself' comes down here to plant a boot up our ar...'

Before Adam could catch the rest of his words the three broke into run laughing their way back to their fighter.

Envying their camaraderie but not their orders Adam turned his attention back to Dag, who as luck would have it had been sighted by the Officer and called to task.

Adam, not willing to leave a boy alone to face three men left his hiding place to take Dag's side.

"Look 'Boyo' I told you to tend to our chucks!' The Officer, all business towered over Dag who fairly shook with anger.

'Sir, yes Sir, but I've been commanded to...' Dag, his voice breaking, his eyes wide as saucers was torn between being relieved and embarrassed when Adam appeared at the officers shoulder.

'Officer!' Adam's voice boomed with authority brooking no argument. The three pilots turned, salutes performed before realizing the man behind the shout was a civilian.

'And you are?' Hackles up at having been caught saluting to a man who he was sure never wore a uniform the Captain eyed Adam from his shiny black boots to his long hair caught up in it's queue with obvious disdain.
'Sorry mate, this is no time for a big dog contest'.
Without checking his gaze Adam flashed the Officer and his co-pilots a look as potent as if he'd popped them with a shot from a neuro-gun. In response the three went glassy eyed and not feigning a little confusion looked around blankly forgetting the presence of Adam, Dag and their orders.

'How'd you do that Sir...' Dag stalled scratching his forehead completely mesmerized by what he'd just witnessed.
'Just come on!' Adam yelled grabbing Dag by his collar and jerking him into a run.

Rounding the little red PT jet Adam barely waited for the hatch to open before he offered Dag his palms, took the boys foot in his cupped hands and tossed him overhead into the cockpit. Flipping himself over the side Adam slipped easily into the pilots seat as the engine purred to life. Adam had barely begun to familiarize himself with the control panel when the first blast rocked the area.

'Sir!' Dag screamed in terror as a blast concussion sent them spinning sideways just as Adam had them shooting up in a vertical lift. Adam struggled with the controls as the PT was buffeted back and forth by blasts raining down without ceasing.

'Adjust the auto-pilot' Adam bellowed over the noise to the boy, 'Choose 'Emergency-Egress' and hit 'Confirm!' Adam struggled to maneuver the little jet around a pair of mushrooming clouds of debris as Dag frantically began punching keys on his console. With trembling fingers Dag hit 'confirm'. The PF didn't respond.

'She's not responding Sir!' Dag screamed again just as Adam barely strong-armed then out from behind the afterburners of a huge fighter who'd cut in front of the PF.
'Hit it again!' Adam felt a real jolt of fear, his arms were giving out, he couldn't hold her much longer.
Dag punched 'confirm' again and again until with a yell that echoed Adams the pair were slammed deep into their seats with crushing g-force as the PF's computers took over her flight.

As the PF dodged flack and shrapnel they got a look at the battle going on around them.
And it was something out of a nightmare.
Below LAB was being systematically destroyed, disintegrating under a brutal and ruthless attack. Above and around them fighters taking massive damage crisscrossed the sky. Concussions came at them so fast and hard little PF was tossed about like a feather in a hurricane, the auto-pilot having gone all but useless. Dag, terrified and screaming reached out a hand and grasped Adam's arm with a strength that nearly crushed the larger man's bones.

'It's alright Dag! We'll make it out.' Adam screamed but seeing the terrified look on the boys face knew what he had to do.
Still under g-force his face feeling like his skin was pealing from his skull Adam turned to catch Dag's terrified eyes.

'Look at me!' Adam yelled.
Dag tried to do as he was told but his eyes clenched shut when a massive explosion turned the PF in a complete circle nose to tail then wing tip to wingtip.

'DAG! LOOK AT ME NOW SON!" Adam screamed.

Turning his head ever so slowly Dag finally opened his eyes and looked at Adam, a slightly startled expression crossing his face before his features as a whole softened and took on a serene glow.

Adam's eyes bored into the petrified youths reading into his very soul. Finding what he sought Adam claimed the best portion of Dag's mind and planted memories there, memories and dreams of everything the boys heart desired.

Dag walking tall in clothes that matched Adam's own. A cherry-red PF like the one they rode in Dag at the stick. And then, something hidden deep in his hopes, something Adam almost missed, Dag wanted the love of a girl. So in Dag's memories he walked arm in arm with a bright haired, sweet smiled little LAB Rat who's image Adam tore from Dag's heart to play against the backdrop of his eyelids.

Breaking the hypnotic gaze Adam watched as Dag's whole body relaxed his mind swimming in a sea of delight, the raging battle all but forgotten. Adam had given him peace.

In the next instant the PF took a massive hit the sound of screeching metals and shields deafening.

Thunder exploded in Adam's ears leaving a great nothingness in it's wake as an emergency helm dropped over his head. Taking another tremendous shock the PF's pilot seat opened to envelope Adam in a life saving cocoon. Arms drawn into the protective shell the last thing Adam felt was Dag's grip loosen and fall away, the last thing he heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from the boy beside him.

When Adam regained consciousness all was calm, the battle over, the faint hiss of the stale oxygen circulating through his helm all that could be heard.

'Dag?' Adam whispered painfully, his voice muffled by the helm. 'Dag?'

But Dag didn't answer.

Turning his head slowly Adam found the front quarter of the PF and everything in it had been blown completely away.


[edit on 4-8-2010 by silo13]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5d80046ed41f.jpg[/atsimg]

WE INTERRUPT THIS SITE TO RELAY SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION
REGARDING AN INDIVIDUAL MENTIONED IN YOUR STORY.

Hello, I'm Mathew Peterson and my father was a newspaper column
writer and author. Sadly, my father died two months ago and while we
were going through his things (our mother had died a year before),
we came across this strange journal.
I can only guess that he was contemplating a book on this subject.

I have sought permission via telephone from the poster on this thread
to be allowed to display my father's writings about a character in your tale.
Please, I mean no offence to the character, I have done some small
research of my own and I have come to believe that ' A Boy In A Dress'
is a figment of a vivid imagination and a silly tale that somehow endured
time.

However, my father's records seem to show otherwise.
I do remember when I was younger, my father using the word 'BIAD'
(He pronouced it By-add) to my mother and storming into his study in
a rage. But still in my heart, I think my father was following a 'wild-goose
-chase' as we say here in Oxfordshire, England.

So I'll post his writings and you can be the judge.
Thank you for your time.

Around 64 years ago, a man named Charles Calvin Shaw was working
in a little area near Corona -New Mexico. Charles was a pioneer in the new
field of DNA structuring and due to Government funding being pushed into
more politically-orientated areas, Charles Shaw struggled to prove a theory
he'd been looking at for the past two years.

WW II was over and it was felt that all hands would be still be needed at
the pumps to combat the yearnings of the communist powers of the
People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union.
Cuba hadn't arrived on the world stage yet, but concerns were being felt
in Washington that reverberated all the way to the adobe-wrapped
building where Dr. Shaw pondered his idea.

Rosalind Franklin, a graduate in physical chemistry had called Shaw on
the day before and informed him of a breakthrough. She had commented
that Frank Crick, also a leading scientist had agreed with his partner
-James Watson, that if the newly-discovered double helix did exist...
and they truly believed it did, then it could have areas that may demand
the speed growth and that Shaw may of been correct about creating a
life form from scratch.

Charles Shaw tried his experiment on 13th June 1947 and it was during
his final tests, that Shaw made his famous error. I know at the time of
this writing, the US Government may not have released the documents that
showed the outcome and what we now know as the 'BIAD Effect' but I can
assure the reader that the facts are there and pressure is being brought to
bear to reveal them.
The 'when's' and the 'who's' are not important, it was the 'how'.
The thunderstorm that for many years was part of the so-called 'Roswell
Incident' did occur, nobody is disputing that fact. The actual storm that did
the damage is ignored and that happened on a late evening on 13th June.

The wreckage that was supposedly discovered by a rancher on his land
also occurred... but much later and the amount of debris reported was
something that always brought a smile to Charles Shaw's face.
When the machinery started up in the laboratory, the storm was two miles
away... Shaw was certain of that and said so at the hearing afterwards.

Shaw had prepared the tanks for the experiment and again, at the hearing,
announced that all necessary disinfectanting proceedures had been
adhered to.
The storm hit the building around 9.15 pm and what now, is excepted as
the 'born' time happened a few seconds later.

I am not allowed due to certain legal restrictions to go into Dr. Shaw's
experiment findings or any subsequent material that he brought to the hearing,
but I can say that within that test, BIAD was born.

From pillar to post, from East to West the poor misshapen eyeless creature
has wandered. For him, life is precarious and he knows somehow, that it is
the most treasured thing in the universe. In 1978 -in Houston Texas, The
President of the United States at that time -James Carter, was present at a
meeting with Charles Shaw and his creation. Carter recalled in his memoirs
about the event in typical cryptic and certainly edited fashion.

When BIAD was led out, and by that time, the man/girl had grown
considerably, the long black hair with red strips had become BIAD's
trademark around the laboratories, Carter had commented how Native
American the creature seemed. Charles Shaw attempted to explain that to
gain certain traits, the area of the DNA strand where skin color and hair
resided had been exploited to ensure a reasonable tolerance to arid
conditions.

The late -Bill Chapman, a retired Secret Service agent on the detail for
the President in Houston -told me that Jimmy Carter and BIAD spoke for
a minute or so and the President found it illuminating.
When the President asked why BIAD's eyes could not be seen under the
long fringe, Shaw was about to explain when BIAD had interrupted.
Below is the nearest I can get to the actual quote:
"The visual concept of one's surroundings is a lifebelt that we hold onto
firmly. For most of us, this world is seen, heard, touched and tasted.
What if I told you this wasn't a real world, Mr. President?"

BIAD then leaned close to Mr. Carter and the surrounding agents went to
reach for the hermaphrodite as he whispered into the President's ear.
At that point, Charles Shaw -with aid from his colleagues, rushed BIAD
from the room.
Chapman told me from his home in Indiana, that the last thing he heard
BIAD say was 'Gerald Light knows' and those enigmatic three words will
stay with me forever.

Any Ufo researcher will tell you that Gerald Light was supposedly one of
the few who had contact along with President Eisenhower with aliens in
an Air Base in 1954.
Light was supposed to be a 'gifted and highly educated writer and lecturer'
but this researcher has struggled to discover more about him.

Charles Shaw made many discoveries after BIAD was 'born' and later
-reports from Fort Hood in Texas, show that BIAD's abilities to withstand
extreme temperatures, oxygen depravation and other life-threatening
events, were being invested in and mimicked.

Where are the tests being done now?, at this precise time is anyone's guess.
All we know is BIAD was the fore-runner to an idea that was officially
dropped in 1983.

In 1987, I caught up with Charles Shaw at a Gala in Minnesota and asked
him if the BIAD experiments were still going on. Shaw and his wife
Catherine were attending the event along with their daughter. Shaw was
furious that I'd interrupted his family's evening and it took all my guile and
charm to allay his anger.

As his wife and daughter looked on, Shaw assured me that the tests had
stopped in 83 and the supposed creature that allegedly existed was a fairy
tale that was born out of the fallout of the 'silly' Roswell incident.

"People were crazy for that kinda stuff -back then..." Shaw said "... they
saw Martians and flying saucers everywhere!" When I inquired about BIAD's
'Gerald Light' comment, this author saw a dramatic change in Charles Shaw
demeanour.

"There's no such person..." Shaw hissed "... and if you write any of this
stuff, you're gonna be in big trouble" With that, Charles Shaw grabbed his
wife and daughter's arms and went off into the Gala. The one thing that
struck me about that meeting was the daughter... she was wearing dark
sunglasses.

[edit on 5-8-2010 by A boy in a dress]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5d80046ed41f.jpg[/atsimg]


As the night came closer, Nenothtu and BIAD bedded down for sleep
and the man/girl noticed that Neno began snoring almost at once.
"He's a tired man" BIAD whispered to himself and wondered if he too
would get any slumber.
Old Silver twinkled in the heavens and the hermaphrodite recalled the
evening that he and his creator had first stayed out and watched the
stars.

It was a desert in Utah, Charles Calvin Shaw or better known to BIAD
as the Creator -had said.
The blacked-out windows of the coach that had brought BIAD to the
facility -was to stop people looking in, but BIAD had managed to scrape
some of the paint away with his long red-painted nail and had looked
dolefully at the arid surroundings.

The terrain wasn't much different from where he'd first 'appeared'
the air was hot, the soil was dry and BIAD wondered when he'd be
allowed to see the ocean.
The Creator had promised BIAD that one day, they would visit the
seaside and he would be able to marvel at the deep blue water.
The two of them had talked for hours about the different creatures that
swam there and his Creator had mentioned a magical substance
that was made right infront of your eyes... it looked like cottonwool
and tasted of suger.
Cotton candy... or Candy floss -as the British janitor who worked
Thursdays back in Corona, would say.
To BIAD it sounded wondrous and he couldn't wait to find some of the
sweet-tasting substance

The Military had gone about their business and ran their tests on the
so-called wig-wearing phenomena. "I'm tellin' you -Shaw, the idea of
making more like the Boy In A Dress is important to any future war
effort..." the cigar-smelling General Ramey had said to the Creator has
BIAD had stepped down from the bus. "...A platoon of these guys will
change history" the 50-year old had hissed from the side of his mouth.

The day was hot and a desert wind blew spirals of dust around in the
compound, BIAD watched fascinated at the dervish dancing.
Shaw left the General's side and rushed to the red-dressed man/girl
standing under the sun.

As he neared BIAD, the white-haired Professor slowed and wondered
what the creature was looking at, the desert wind flapped the flags above
them.
"BIAD...? how are you?" The Creator asked and held a hand out. BIAD
tilted his head dog-like and faced the only person he would ever trust.
"I'm dandy!" BIAD chirped and watched his mentor break out in a beaming
grin. Behind them, the General whispered to himself "hell... they even
smile alike"

So the three of them, plus a few guards -for good measure, entered the
red-brick building and for BIAD, that's where the pain began.

Neno grunted and scratched his behind, the embers glowed brightly as the
evening breeze passed over them. BIAD combed his fingers through his wig
and any anxiety from the memories seeped away with each finger-stroke.

He hated the Freezer... he hated the Oven too.
The Creator had assured him that the experiments were needed and he
had also added that they would help BIAD to understand who he was.
The man/girl usually had respect for his aging father-figure and never
questioned his wisdom, but BIAD guessed that the last statement
may have been not so truthful.

BIAD lay on his side near the campfire and thought of his first 'jaunt'
He scrawled rune markings in the cool ash of the fire as he remembered
how the Military had panicked.

It was on July 22nd 1980, when BIAD first disappeared.
The Top-brass were hysterical and the scientists couldn't give them
any explanation.
At 7.14 am, The Boy In A Dress was undergoing a brain scan to see if
his perception through his physical senses, was the same as a standard
human being.
BIAD had chuckled to himself about that... 'standard human being'...
if they only knew how unique every human was -he thought to himself.

At 7.24am, The Boy In A Dress was not in the Monitoring chair and could
not be located anywhere in the laboratory.
The security cameras were checked, the footage showed a long-fringed
grinning individual strapped in a seat in the centre of the lab and then it
didn't!... it just didn't.
The scientists raced from machine to machine, checking the information
and with pallid complexions, shrugged their shoulders at the uniformed
officials that were filling up the room.

[edit on 9-8-2010 by A boy in a dress]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5d80046ed41f.jpg[/atsimg]


For BIAD, it was a little different.
The smell of sulphur was the first thing that hit him and then the flashing lights of colour strobing the darkness that had enveloped him.
He was flying... he thought he was flying, because there was no ground.
The white tiles of the lab were gone, in fact -the lab was gone and all that BIAD could see was this blackness with the occasional flash of light.

Then the sulphur-smell faded and the man/girl could make out a greyness rushing towards him.
BIAD flapped his arms and legs and wondered what the scientists had done to him, he didn't like this at all.
The greyness kept coming and there were shapes inside... BIAD could make out a building and a... ship!

Back in Corona -New Mexico, Jenkins the Janitor would take his tea-break outside in the yard and every chance BIAD had, he would visit the balding Brit.
The day he brought the magazine showing different ships and boats that the US Navy used, BIAD had poured over it's pages. It wasn't the diversity of craft that BIAD marvelled at, it was the pictures that showed the ocean!
The waves, the skies... BIAD had soaked it in like a sponge. Jenkins had just drank his tea from his thermos flask and opened his newspaper at the racing page.

It was a definitely a ship.
BIAD scanned the craft as it became more pronounced and the building looked like it had seen better days, the windows were dirty and broken.
The man/girl whirled his arms to get nearer the hulking craft and then suddenly, his high- heels felt a surface and he looked down to see a gravelled floor.

The blackness had gone, the bright sun made BIAD cower for a moment and he looked around to get his bearings.
The dirty-grey ship stood infront of him and BIAD sucked in lungfulls of salty air, diesel oil and drying seagull guano!
With a huge grin, he realised he was at the ocean.

Moving swiftly along the dock... (BIAD knew that word from the magazine too)... he headed to be out of the vessel's shadow. Long cables also ran along the dockside and then sagged up and into the ships decking, BIAD checked where the black-wrapped cables came from and saw a number of men and women stood on a raised platform further along the dock.
BIAD ran in the opposite direction.

"What do you mean, you've seen this before?!!" Ramey roared at Presley and ignoring the 'NO SMOKING' sign, the red-faced General lit his Cuban cigar. Professor Presley cleaned his glasses and Shaw could see how weak his eyes looked without them.
"I worked for the Navy back in '43 and there was a test to make a ship invisible..." the poor scientist was melting under Ramey's murderous gaze.
"... we were trying a new idea, something that would win us the war" Presley finished and jammed the thick spectacles onto his mouse-like nose.

Ramey moved the cigar in a rotating fashion to say go on and Presley breathed deeply, ready to give out the information.
"In 1943, a few of us decided to attempt to alter or bend light." the sweating scientist checked Ramey's face to see if the General had cooled his jets yet, Presley saw Lord Satan in a uniform before him and decided to press on.
"The experiment didn't work... or at least, it didn't work the way we thought it would and some of the crew... er..." the scientist could feel his armpits slick with sweat under the rage-dripping stare of the General.

"Go on -damn it" Ramey barked and the lab coat of Presley flapped as he backed away.
"The crew started to disappear!" Presley spat out and reached for a sheave of papers laid on a nearby console.
"There's indications of sulphur around the time that the subject left the laboratory and I recalled that sulphur was the gas that was present when we tried to make the vessel vanish back in '43"

Charles Shaw wondered if what Presley was saying could be true and somehow, the eyeless hermaphrodite that was born from lab chemicals, had passed into another dimension. The Creator thought it smacked of too much science fiction TV.

Presley and the others scampered off to check and recheck their findings, while General Ramey and Shaw went into the cafeteria, the General's smoke-wake gave their passage away.
The clock said 7.48am.

Then BIAD came back.

It was Watkins who noticed him first. He'd chased the wires from the chair, all the way back to the large console that took in body temperature and body-electrical readings.
It was just when he'd realised he'd left his clipboard near the seat, that he saw the reclining man/girl.

"He's back" Watkins snapped and tapped Presley on the shoulder. Everyone looked around and stared at the unmoving body.

Ramey and Shaw were tannoyed and after a couple of minutes, it was Shaw who approached the sleeping Boy In A Dress. There were black oily marks on the man/girl's face and hands and traces of pink residue intertwined in his hair.
Presley stepped forward with a plastic dish and some tweezers. "This may be from his time-travelling and may show us what happened" he whispered and plucked at the strands.
Watkins grabbed the dish with the pink fibres in and raced off into another room.
BIAD snored quietly, but remained still.

Then Charles Shaw smiled the 'BIAD' smile and reached for the strange substance.
"Don't!..." Presley hissed but Shaw just pulled a string of it from BIAD's hair and turned around to face General Ramey.
"Do you know what this is?" the Creator said softly and dangled the pink filament close to his own face. Ramey showed his thousand yard stare.
Charles Shaw then quickly snatched at the string with his mouth and swallowed it down.
The grin returned and Shaw displayed it to the mouth-open onlookers.
"BIAD always wanted some... and somehow, he got it" Shaw chuckled and turned slightly to pat the hermaphrodite on the hand.
General Ramey jammed the stogie between his teeth and growled "well...? what was it?"

Shaw sighed and said "cotton candy... BIAD went for cotton candy"

That night, Shaw and BIAD watched the stars and laughed together
about the day -like father and son.

[edit on 9-8-2010 by A boy in a dress]

Captain Gorshkov was directing a few repair crews as they though about what their next move was.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/fa2051119c0e.png[/atsimg]

A fleet of unknowns were not hurdling towards the ship and reading for an assault.

"Scans, Mr Jefferson" asked the Captain.

"Sir, we are receiving a signal, however we do not have a format to read it"

Gorshkov asked again, "Stevens, if this stuff goes down, how fast can we maneuver with the damages?"

Stevens replied "I'm pretty sure we can still kick some buns with the ship sir"

Mr Jefferson then said " Sir, their ships are not that protected. They're not going to be a threat"

The captain was reviewing options when when Corporal Gorman came up with Corporal Walls.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8c420a4df0bc.jpg[/atsimg]

"Captain." Gorman spoke up, "Guns are set and we're ready to go. I've been to the debriefing room to look over the evidence. Our military options are pretty simple and straightforward. There's a base of some kind on the planet and the ships are beginning to land. I don't like the power signatures and those ships are not aiming down us at point blank range to say hello. Now they seem to be trying to contact us, but what I see is a bunch of ships still wanting us dead"

"Power levels are going up on one ship" yelled Jefferson. "I'd say it's time we hit it."

Gorshkov yelled the order "Get the shield up. If they fire we go hot"

Jefferson suddenly heard on the radio transmitter plain English "Surrender". It was all he could make out.

"Sir" said Mr. Jefferson. "I'm pretty sure it's clear what we should do"


Gorshkov gave the order. "fire on that big ship right in front of us. Straight down the main bow of her backbone. Crippling shot. We'll run the hell out of here before they even see us coming."

Gorman added "Ok gang, you're gonna want to drop the ship right after the crippling shot and make sure to get what looks like a cargo hold. Then we're going to resume normal firing patterns. Hit the one of the big ones with the main gun and give 'em some shock and awe. Then fire the rest with the laser and torpedoes. We're gonna hit that base on the ground and make sure they've got no home to go to after this. Clear 'em, flush 'em out, and run like hell. We'll come back a moment later to get what we can for scrap metal for repairs."

Stevens powered up the engines and hit the trigger. The ship fired and hit the big one followed by a torpedo volley.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2d526c87080a.png[/atsimg]

The ship dropped down, hit the underbelly, and took off at high speeds. What was a Mexican standoff became a hit and run. The ship pulled a hard right, and then activated gravity generators on the top against the momentum to keep the ship turning sharp and prevent her from cracking in two.

"There! Down their pipes!" yelled the captain.

In a surprise move, the ship lined up with the thrusters of one of the ships and fired a good shot down it, blowing the engines to hell. Chaos erupted as the ships began firing at a blurry dot on their scans. Some of the enemy ships began firing but hit their own ships as a result of not aiming down the line. The ship swirled again and shot down the side plating of another ship.

"Hit that crack! There! Stevens right there! Get under the plating. Roast them alive". The captain saw a crack forming on one of the ships where the armor was fired upon. Stevens followed orders and beamed the laser for a good 3 seconds into the crack. The ship began erupting into flames and burning from the inside out as the ship's own armor acted as an oven and roasted all within alive.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2fbb024b136b.png[/atsimg]


As the living hell of the fight ensued, the tiny ship that could seemed to be doing nothing short of winning.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/02748d0bca1d.jpg[/atsimg]

"Take her down to the base now Stevens" yelled the captain. "Lets see if we can get rid of that pest"

The ship descended from the fight and entered the atmosphere. From the coast, the ship fired down on the main base from a hot ride down above a small body of water.

"Give them their medicine, Mr. Stevens"

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bb80ce74f644.png[/atsimg]

The ship came back up and fired on what remained out there. The fight finished up.

"Captain" Yelled Mr Jefferson. "The enemy is retreating".

"Guess we won't be leaving so soon after all" exclaimed the captain. "Get a small crew down to that base to see what's left. We'll finish up here."

The research team packed up and launched down to the fiery abyss of what was once a base.

"Sir, we are on the ground" The team shortly replied. They were on a forest away from the bombing. The team had an apc and a small military power at their disposal to deal with anything they found. They were setting up their equipment and preparing to move out.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/70657befced4.jpg[/atsimg]


"Captain!" Reported Jefferson. "Detecting disabled vessel in the wreckage"

Gorman thought for a moment and told the captain "Sir, we have no idea what situation we are in. If that ship has anything of use it would be wise to take it and get some intel into what's going on."

"Do it" The captain said simply. "but let's try to contact them if there's anyone left. I want to talk to some survivors. Lets hope the ground team gets something if this ship doesn't"

The ship traversed through the wreckage and debris to the nearly intact ship. It was a red shiny small one. Looked like a fighter. Good enough to learn something about. They took a confrontations position over the broken ship. Mr Jefferson sent a ping to it to see if anyone would answer. The ship had succeeded in making a name for itself in less than an hour of this strange trek.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/02c681b1ec02.jpg[/atsimg]


*Sources of images: BSG and stargate, photoshoped.



[edit on 16-8-2010 by Gorman91]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/5d80046ed41f.jpg[/atsimg]

The campfire was nearly out and only a few embers glowed weakly as
BIAD sat and pondered the man across from him.
'Nenothtu'... a name that BIAD whispered to himself, trying it out like
a new dress.
What lives had this guy interacted with?

An early-rising Bollow coughed in the morning mist and BIAD sat up
to see the shaggy beast. Another one called back across the prairie
and the Bollow shambled away to find it's mate.

It's mate... BIAD thought, there's always someone or something that
has a mate, BIAD's creator had assured the man/girl of that.

As the stars dimmed and the Eastern sky changed from deep velvet to
a dull orange, BIAD quietly stood up and wondered where breakfast
would be foraged from.
The canteen at the feet of the sleeping Neno, looked full, so BIAD
scanned the bushes at the forest edge for any emerging berries.
As the hermaphrodite walked quietly through the dew-soaked prairie
grass, he thought again about the words that his Creator had said.

"Out there..." the white-haired man had said and waved at the heavens,
"... your soul-mate awaits" The galaxy was putting on a fine display
tonight and after the initial problems with the tests, the scientists had
settled down to a steady pace of finding out BIAD's potential.
Charles Calvin Shaw and his creation lay on the lab roof and marvelled
the sky.

The tests were all but over, the Military were satisfied that any
reproduction of the 'Boy In A Dress' would be useful in a combat
situation and they felt that other, more 'clandestine' roles would be the
way forward for the strange creature.

The Freezer had broken on Day 2 and BIAD had was happy that the
repairs were taking so long... he didn't like the cold.
Actually, they had succeeded to get his temperature down to below
freezing without any discomfort, but BIAD hadn't taken to what they
did with their thermometers.

But the Oven worked fine and the wig-wearing man/girl seemed not
show any effects to intense heat. There was a little problem about
BIAD's hair striking out at one of the soldiers who had escorted BIAD
from the Oven, but that was explained away as built-up tension of being
confined for three hours.

So when Shaw had announced to BAID that somewhere in the universe
an entity who existed that was his 'other-half' BIAD inwardly made it his
mission to find him/her/it.
The breakout was never planned, but it has it turned out, it was for the
best.


The Staver peas gleamed in their dew wrappings and BIAD carefully
plucked the succulent plants and placed them in his lifted skirt hem.
As the ground mist cleared and the daylight marched forward, a few
birds struck up their morning chorus and BIAD hummed a tune from
way-back-when.
Neno was awake and BIAD pondered on whether to tell him about the
idea of being that possible soul-mate.

[edit on 17-8-2010 by A boy in a dress]