Difference between revisions of "Warm Impermanence, Part I"

Revision as of 09:12, 26 February 2011

A looming Hekayti stands at the base of the boarding ramp for a shuttle that’s been specially painted with blue, yellow, and green lines that form a symmetrical pattern on the hull. “Shuttle for Ashkodt is ready for departure. Outsiders are invited to observe for the first time. Transport fees are waived for this journey.”

Kallyn has been leaning against a nearby cargo crate, eating a purple-and-green striped fruit as she waited for the boarding call. The Aukami finishes off her meal, dabbing at her mouth with a handkerchief lightly before disposing of the rind. Her fedora is adjusted, then her medical satchel, the eternally dusty tome, and finally her trusty bullwhip. “All set,” the redhead remarks to herself lightly, before moving to board the shuttle.

Akamatsu was merely hanging out in the docking hub a bit bored. He hears the boarding call and decides it’s something to do and goes toward the shuttle as well. On his way he takes a sip from his ever present jug.

The passengers are shown aboard the shuttle. It’s not a full flight, but there are probably more than two dozen people of various races in the seats, ready to travel to the Hekayti colony world. Once everyone is buckled in, the shuttle’s hatch shuts. The engines fire up. Within just a few minutes, the vessel is arcing away from Comorro, building velocity until the pilot can activate the OtherSpace Drive. The shuttle vanishes in a flash of blue light, beginning the transit on the knife edge of time and space that leads across the light years to Ashkodt. Servers move up and down the aisles, offering drinks and snacks.

The glow in Kallyn’s normally steel-shaded eyes flickers lightly as she looks around, mild curiosity tinging them a pale shade of orange. The doctor orders a drink from the server, before turning her attention to any portal or window or anything that will let her look outside the shuttle during the flight.

“Attention, passengers,” comes a voice over the public address sytem in the shuttle cabin. “This is the captain. We are en route to Ashkodt. Arrival should be in approximately one hour. During this time, you may view your choice of holovid content through the virt goggles in the armrests of each of your seats.”

Akamatsu turns his head to the side looking out one of the various windows of the craft. He takes a sip from his jug at the sight this still being quite new to him as he’d only done it three other times. He then begins to wonder what exactly Ashkodt is. He couldn’t remember ever hearing of it.

Umishi wiggles into her seat near a window ears twitching as the feliniod looks out.

A fat Gankri sitting next to Akamatsu leans over and rests a furred hand on the human’s knee. “Excuse me,” he says, “but you look like you could handle yourself in a fight. Are you a flight marshal?”

The redheaded Aukami just sips her drink and stares out the window. Forget holovids, she gets to see massive amounts of distance pass in the blink of an eye. Even for Kallyn the re-living, who shuttles between places regularly enough, this is still pretty awesome. There’s a glance spared – only a glance – when someone not too far off mentions handling oneself in a fight.

Akamatsu looks over to the Gankri and looks blankly at him saying “Um no what’s that?” After responding he looks back out the window thinking about the fact that if he could go home to Japan (even if he wouldn’t really want to) nobody would beleive him if he told this story.

Umishi looks around the cabin a bit before leaning in her seat and closing her eyes.

The Gankri withdraws his hand from the human’s knee, then leans back into his own chair with a huff. “I think I’d just feel safer with a flight marshal around. Hekayti are brutes, or so I’m told. They have little tolerance for outsiders. That’s why I jumped at the opportunity to make this trip. How often do they give such a glimpse of their colonies? They’re so secretive about them.”

Kallyn decides to eavesdrop on the conversation between Akamatsu and the gankri, eyes fixed outside but attention with the words being spoken. The orange in her eyes deepens slightly as she sips at her drink.

Akamatsu looks at the gankri and laughs a bit saying “I may not be a flight marshal but I think I can hold my own against a Hekayti.” It’s hard to say if this is whatever liquid is in the jug talking or not partly because whether or not it’s alcoholic is a mystery and Aka doesn’t show many physical signs of being drunk.

Umishi stays in her relaxed closed eye postion, one ear swiveling in the direction of the conversation with the Gankri.

“What’s in the jug, sunshine?” the Gankri inquires, waggling his brows. “You should share!”

The Aukami chuckles so very lightly. “One, maybe,” Kallyn allows mildly, “A planetful? I think not. Doubt there’s anything to be concerned over, in general they appear to be an honorable race.”

Akamatsu looks to Kallyn and replies “I did use the word a and besides his concern was if I were a flight marshal I daresay one of them couldn’t hold their own against an entire planet either.” He then turns back to the Gankri and says “Do you have a glass for me to give you some with?”

That gets a grin from the Gankri. “A glass? No, no, John Henry! You pour some right down my gullet!” He flops over on his back, letting his head drop toward Akamatsu’s lap while his mouth opens to receive a pour from the jug. “Glug-glug!”

Umishi makes and odd expression in her seat eyes still shut before relaxing her face again.

Kallyn just chortles. “Oh look, you’ve made a new friend,” she muses.

Akamatsu raises his eyebrows at the Gankri’s actions then simply shrugs and says “Ok but don’t blame me if you’re hammered by the time we get to the planet.” He pours about a shot’s worth of the liquid down his throat while saying “It’s sake. Rice liquor.”

The Gankri guzzles down the drink, then removes himself from the human’s lap and settles back into his seat. He smacks his lips, lacing his long fingers together over his belly. “Not likely to happen, junebug! Vampire can hold his liquor. Always has; always will.” He wags a floppy foot around. “Good to have both legs again, though.”

Umishi seems to crack one eye upon curiously at the words ‘vampire’ and ‘good to have both legs’.

“Both legs, hm?” Kallyn asks of the Gankri, “Have yourself an accident?”

Akamatsu glances at the pair of legs on the Gankri and replies “How exactly did you lose both legs let alone grow them back. This universe is more advanced than I thought if you can grow back limbs.”

“You could say that,” the Gankri replies. He burps, a little purple-blue cloud roils from his nostrils, and then he gives a long relaxed sigh. “Lost one leg, a long time ago. I have to say, I do miss that chair sometimes…” His voice drifts off as the shuttle’s address system crackles to life: “This is the captain. You may experience some disorientation as we translate from OtherSpace to sublight. Please make use of the disposal bags in your seats if you become ill.”

One of the Lyiri’s ears droops at bit while the other maintains its swivel directed towards the one talking as she opens her eyes, securing herself in her seat.

“‘You could say that’,” Kallyn sighs, “I believe most often that means… ‘No, but I don’t want to tell you so I’ll just let you believe that.’” She glances up to the speakers as the announcement come on, before downing the rest of her well-nursed drink and making sure she’s fastened in properly. “I take it you haven’t been here too long, Mister…?” she asks of Akamatsu lightly, prompting for his name.

Akamatsu notices the prompting and while he to fastens himself in he responds “Akamatsu. You may simply call me Aka if you find it hard to pronounce. Also no I have not been here long only a few months and I have over 1000 years of catching up to do mind you.” While saying the last sentence he points to his blades and his clothing.

“Well, you know what Freud had to say about men who carried multiple swords around, right?” the Gankri interjects, just before the shuttle drops out of FTL on a trajectory that will deliver it to the colony world of Ashkodt. His eyes bug out, cheeks puffing, as he puts his hands to his snout and makes a retching sound. “Oh. Oh, no.” He lope-waddles down the aisle. He can barely be heard muttering: “This body is such a *bitch*.” He slams the door once he’s inside the lavatory cubicle.

Umishi ‘s hearing picks up, or trys to, that last bit..and the Freud part, this actually cuases her to sit up in her seat lightly and peer over the back of it in the direction the Gankri went. Well if the fact a gagging Gankri wasn’t enough of an attention grabber.

“Kallyn Lake,” the so-named Aukami introduces, just as the shuttle drops out of FLT. She cringes slightly and rubs at her stomach, but doesn’t appear to have any imminent need for the sick bag. “It’s no problem, I’ve only been here… oh, about a year myself,” she remarks lightly, looking over his clothes, “I was originally from a world of swords and bows myself – trust me, I can relate.” The Gankri earns a quirked eyebrow and a much more vivid oranging of the doctor’s eyes. She decides to leave her seat and head calmly down the aisle to give the lavatory door a light knock. “Are you all right in there, Mr. Vampire? I’m a doctor, I have a few medications with me if you need them…”

One of the attendants approaches Kallyn, rumbling: “We are on final approach. Please. Take your seat.”

Umishi sits back down slowly ears twitching as she makes mental notes about the Gankri.

Akamatsu puts the name into his memory and wonders what everone’s problem was with getting sick. He hadn’t even really been drinking and only felt slight discomfort. After all he remembered getting sucked into this dimension and that was a much less pleasant feeling so this wasn’t terribly hard on his stomach in comparison. He responds to Kallyn with “Good to meet you and I suspect he’ll be okay. He just drank some of my sake and didn’t even shudder at the taste he has a strong stomach by human standards anyway.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Kallyn replies to the attendant, “I was simply concerned about a Gankri who just dove in there — do be a dear and warn him as well? He seemed a bit more ill than normal, I think he’s a bit new to his… well, to this sort of trip.” She slips back to her seat without a fuss, and straps back in. “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” she agrees with Akamatsu lightly, “Just… sympathizing, I suppose.”

The shuttle makes its final approach, descending through the atmosphere above the sprawling continents of Ashkodt, many of which appear to be well-covered with forests and majestic mountain ranges. Oceans seem to cover about two thirds of the planet’s surface. The captain announces over the PA: “We will be landing at the colony space facility in just a few minutes. Please return your virt goggles to their proper receptacles and remain seated until we are safely planetside.”

Umishi turns to look out the window at the scenery on approach.

Akamatsu sits in wait while examining the planet they would soon be arriving at.

Kallyn, too, looks out to take in the view and appreciate the terrain.

The main feature of the colony settlement appears to be a massive arcology, at least eight hundred feet tall, looming above the commons shared by the inhabitants. A large industrial structure sprawls to the east. Moments later, the shuttle’s struts scrape on the rough stone of the landing pad. “Thank you for joining the citizens of Ashkodt on the occasion of the Emergence. We hope you have had a pleasant flight. Enjoy your stay on the planet,” says the captain over the public address sytem. The hatch is opened and the mobile stairway is maneuvered into place.

Akamatsu gets up from his seat making sure all his belongings were still there and begins to walk over to the hatch to see exactly what this planet was. On his way out he takes another sip from his jug.

Kallyn unfastens her harness and hangs back, allowing foot traffic to pass by her seat rather than following it just yet. She keeps her eyes open for any sign of that Gankri, in hopes of seeing if he’s feeling any better.

Colony Landing Pad – Ashkodt

The centerpiece of this stone-paved landing pad is a pitted black metal pod resting atop a pedestal of blue-green marble. A viewport built into the upper half of the pod shows the mummified remains of a male Hekayti in the dark blue burial robes of the Konterbeid caste. An engraved plaque at the base of the pedestal reads: “ASHKODT COLONY – CLAIMED FOR THE FATHERS AND SONS OF THE KONTERBEID – NOW AND FOREVER.” Below this, a quote from the occupant of the probe: “Prosperity from order. Order from convention. Convention from wisdom.”

Umishi looks about a bit ears flicking in all direction taking in sounds before following the main group of traffic.

The shuttle’s passengers disembark to find themselves on the chilly landing pad of the colony settlement, just as the pale yellow sun disappears behind the great bulk of the arcology. One of the last to step down the stairway is the waddling Gankri, wiping the back of his left hand across his mouth while his right hand carries a metal case.

Akamatsu feeling how chilly it was on the landing pad buttons up his coat. He looks around seeing the Gankri come off the ship and then he begins to inspect the statue.

Kallyn injects herself into traffic, making her another of the last few from the shuttle. “Feeling better?” she asks of Vampire lightly, “That was quite the reaction back there. Perhaps I can give you some motion sickness medication, when it’s time for the trip back?” She tightens her jacket about her, and gives the monument on the landing pad an appraising look.

The Gankri grunts as Kallyn addresses him, shifting the metal case from one hand to the other as he mutters, “Try not to make such a big deal about it. You almost blew it for me! Chicks, man.”

Umishi walks in the chilly air rather brisk and casually, blinking a moment at the Gankris case and just watching.

Akamatsu hears the Gankri say you almost blew it for me and turns around to ask “Blew what for you?”

“‘Blew it’, oh please,” Kallyn laughs, “No one would believe it even if they were told point blank. People rarely believe me when I try to explain about myself.” She smirks at Akamatsu, but her next words are still directed at the Gankri: “You did that one, not me.”

“Did *what*?” the Gankri demands, looking from Kallyn to the swordsman. He swivels his snout back toward Kallyn as he clutches the handle of the metal case and leans closer, whispering: “Biggest. Job. Ever. It’s huge. But if those attendants got nosy about someone upchucking in the john…” His voice trails off. “Never mind. You wouldn’t understand. All you need to know is that you don’t need to know.”

Akamatsu decides he is suspicious of this Gankri and to keep a close eye on him. He keeps his hand just a little bit closer to the hilt of his katana. He then ponders for a moment what the rules for weapons are here so he turns around and asks Kallyn “Are there any restrictions on weapons here? Or is anybody likely to care?”

Umishi turns around, the one ear is notable swiveled toward the Gankri and keeps her brisk pace going as she trys to find a viewing point.

“Not a clue, I don’t travel to Hekayan space much,” Kallyn remarks with a half a shrug, “You could ask them, but I’m guessing that they would have confiscated your swords and my whip if they didn’t trust us with them. Generally polite not to draw unless endangered, I would imagine?” She just waves a hand at the Gankri. “Fair enough,” she murmurs, “I don’t care enough to pry anyway.”

The Gankri stops to study the statue in the middle of the landing pad. Well, no, it’s not a statue, really, is it? It’s a sarcophagus. “Now, bitches, that’s just tacky,” he murmurs. An enigmatic smile creeps across his snout as he reads the quote on the plaque. His attention then shifts to a Hekayti guide who announces: “Offworlders, welcome to Ashkodt. The Emergence takes place tomorrow evening. For now, you are invited to visit the colony. We will provide lodging in the arcology. Room for all. Thank you for coming.”

Umishi looks around a bit to take in the area, one ear still tuned to the Gankri.

Akamatsu Looks over to Kallyn and for the first time sees her whip and actually examines it and asks “What exactly is that thing?” He asks this while pointing to the whip of course. He then continues with “How can it be an effective weapon?”

Kallyn looks where the ronin is pointing and replies, “A bullwhip. I will admit that it’s a bit awkward to handle as a weapon, but it’s actually very useful.” She unstraps it from her belt, but keeps it coiled as she holds it up for closer examination. “The end here, when the weapon is properly handled, can travel faster than sound. It makes a loud snapping noise, which can be used to gain attention either as a signal or an intimidation tactic.” She returns it to her belt, then, “I’d demonstrate, but I don’t want to bother anyone. As a weapon I typically use it to entangle an enemy by flicking it just right to get the thinner end to wrap around a limb, weapon, or waist.”

Akamatsu nods as Kallyn explains her weapon and when she finishes says “I think I will be taking these people up on their offer of lodging good night.” He walks off taking one final sip from his jug before bed.

“Light keep,” Kallyn replies lightly, before pulling out her PDA and peering at it. “Oo… yeah, bed’s a good idea, I didn’t realize how long I’ve been up.” She, too, wanders off to seek sleep.