the Jester
Legend
KidCthulhu said:
Especially cephalovorous chicks.
-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
[Spaceship Zero] Q-Ship (actually updated 19 May 2007)
- Thread starter Capellan
- Start date
Especially cephalovorous chicks.
Capellan
Explorer
"Total Escape" - Part 6
Two of the Targ guards drag S'Ondra into one of the large, barracks-style buildings that dominate the camp. The interior is a single large room, with rows of double bunks along each wall.
"You sleep here" the taller guard indicated one of the beds. "You eat when clang sound. You do as told."
The Princess suppresses a scowl and instead just nods her response, not trusting herself to speak without betraying her scorn for the invaders.
A third guard appears at the baracks door and waves for his two companions.
"The Commandant wants us to head out on patrol." he calls to them in Targ, "There might be more of the primitives in the area."
As the three guards leave, S'Ondra quickly moves to the window and peers out into the camp, standing just to the side of the window frame so that she will not be seen from outside. Her eyes go immediately to the building where her foster-father was taken, and a worried frown creases her usually perfect forehead,
"There's got to be something I can do." she muses, then suddenly stiffens. Whirling around, she drops into a crouch, eyes scanning the room. "Who's there?"
And because the screenwriter's a tease, the camera flashes out to the eight man Targ patrol as they head out of the camp and begin the long, slow tramp up into the jungle-lined ridge where Fury and Archie are concealed.
"Look at them, straggling about like that."Fury disapproves, "They're not paying any real attention to what they're doing."
"Evidently they do not anticipate any difficulties, Captain." Archie's builder-bot body waves its antennae thoughtfully, "They do appear to have the native population entirely pacified."
"Well, they're about to learn that the non-native population has a few objections of its own. Follow me, Archie, I have a plan."
The Targ patrol continues to head up the ridge-line, becoming more and more strung out as it does so. After they enter the tree-line, they bunch up a little more, but this is more than cancelled out by the reduced visibility. Soon the rearmost Targ is out of sight of his companions as he unhurriedly picks his way through the undergrowth, disruptor hanging casually at his side.
The disruptor swings up at a rustle in the bushes to his left, and the Targ steps warily in that direction. The bushes rustle slightly again, and the alien pauses, obviously considering whether he should call for assistance.
Which is when Fury steps out from the bushes behind him and wallops him with a tree-branch.
"Well done, Archie." the Captain calls softly as he checks to make sure the Targ is out cold. The robot emerges from the undergrowth.
"What do you plan to do now that you've captured him, Captain?"
Fury answers in between grunts of exertion as he drags the body out of sight.
"I'm going to get him out of this suit ... nngh ... and get myself ... ungh ... into it. Then .... mmph ... I'm going to follow the patrol .... hmph ... back into the camp."
"The suit should be sterilised before you wear it, Captain." Archie frets, "There could be any number of strange alien germs in there."
"So you said last time I put one of these on." Fury's slightly-muffled voice floats in of shot. Seconds later, he reappears, fully dressed in the Targ encounter suit except for the helmet, which he still holds in his hand. "Now climb up into this backpack for me." he gestures at the encounter suit's pack with his thumb.
Archie scuttles backward nervously, obviously unenthusiastic about the idea.
"Captain -"
"Archie, that's an order."
There's a frustrated groan of changing gears from the robot, and he sends his builder-bot body scuttling up Fury's leg and into the open pack. The pack bulgers and shakes as Archie sulkily makes himself comfortable. Ignoring this, Fury jams his helmet on his head, shoulders his disruptor rifle, and heads off after the rest of the Targ patrol.
As he walks, a robotic eyestalk appears out of the top of the pack, and peers over his shoulder to see where they are going.
Two of the Targ guards drag S'Ondra into one of the large, barracks-style buildings that dominate the camp. The interior is a single large room, with rows of double bunks along each wall.
"You sleep here" the taller guard indicated one of the beds. "You eat when clang sound. You do as told."
The Princess suppresses a scowl and instead just nods her response, not trusting herself to speak without betraying her scorn for the invaders.
A third guard appears at the baracks door and waves for his two companions.
"The Commandant wants us to head out on patrol." he calls to them in Targ, "There might be more of the primitives in the area."
As the three guards leave, S'Ondra quickly moves to the window and peers out into the camp, standing just to the side of the window frame so that she will not be seen from outside. Her eyes go immediately to the building where her foster-father was taken, and a worried frown creases her usually perfect forehead,
"There's got to be something I can do." she muses, then suddenly stiffens. Whirling around, she drops into a crouch, eyes scanning the room. "Who's there?"
And because the screenwriter's a tease, the camera flashes out to the eight man Targ patrol as they head out of the camp and begin the long, slow tramp up into the jungle-lined ridge where Fury and Archie are concealed.
"Look at them, straggling about like that."Fury disapproves, "They're not paying any real attention to what they're doing."
"Evidently they do not anticipate any difficulties, Captain." Archie's builder-bot body waves its antennae thoughtfully, "They do appear to have the native population entirely pacified."
"Well, they're about to learn that the non-native population has a few objections of its own. Follow me, Archie, I have a plan."
The Targ patrol continues to head up the ridge-line, becoming more and more strung out as it does so. After they enter the tree-line, they bunch up a little more, but this is more than cancelled out by the reduced visibility. Soon the rearmost Targ is out of sight of his companions as he unhurriedly picks his way through the undergrowth, disruptor hanging casually at his side.
The disruptor swings up at a rustle in the bushes to his left, and the Targ steps warily in that direction. The bushes rustle slightly again, and the alien pauses, obviously considering whether he should call for assistance.
Which is when Fury steps out from the bushes behind him and wallops him with a tree-branch.
"Well done, Archie." the Captain calls softly as he checks to make sure the Targ is out cold. The robot emerges from the undergrowth.
"What do you plan to do now that you've captured him, Captain?"
Fury answers in between grunts of exertion as he drags the body out of sight.
"I'm going to get him out of this suit ... nngh ... and get myself ... ungh ... into it. Then .... mmph ... I'm going to follow the patrol .... hmph ... back into the camp."
"The suit should be sterilised before you wear it, Captain." Archie frets, "There could be any number of strange alien germs in there."
"So you said last time I put one of these on." Fury's slightly-muffled voice floats in of shot. Seconds later, he reappears, fully dressed in the Targ encounter suit except for the helmet, which he still holds in his hand. "Now climb up into this backpack for me." he gestures at the encounter suit's pack with his thumb.
Archie scuttles backward nervously, obviously unenthusiastic about the idea.
"Captain -"
"Archie, that's an order."
There's a frustrated groan of changing gears from the robot, and he sends his builder-bot body scuttling up Fury's leg and into the open pack. The pack bulgers and shakes as Archie sulkily makes himself comfortable. Ignoring this, Fury jams his helmet on his head, shoulders his disruptor rifle, and heads off after the rest of the Targ patrol.
As he walks, a robotic eyestalk appears out of the top of the pack, and peers over his shoulder to see where they are going.
Capellan
Explorer
"Total Escape" - Part 7
"Don't be afraid." a handsome male Venusian appears out of the shadows of the barracks, his open hands held out, palms forward.
"I'm not afraid." S'Ondra looks offended. "I'm angry."
"Angry?" the young man looks puzzled. S'Ondra can't help but notice that he's got baby blue eyes and a cleft chin.
"The Targ come here and take over my world!" the Princess seethes, "They enslave my people!"
"Shhh!" the young man gestures for her to keep her voice down, "They will hear you."
"I don't care! I want to kill them all!"
"How? They have mighty weapons?"
"Oh. Yes." S'Ondra is reminded of the painful reality that she does not have her heat lance.
The Venusian cocks his head to one side and looks at her quizzically,
"You look much like other prisoner." he notes.
"Um ... yes." S'Ondra tries to imagine explaining things to the half-dressed and distractingly well-built young male. "It's complicated."
"So you have no way to fight sky people?"
"No." S'Ondra admits, "But maybe the others will."
"Others?"
The Princess winces as she realises her blunder.
"... Yes. Other Venusians. Venusians exactly like me." she desperately tries to think of a way to change the subject, "Look, I can't just keep thinking of you as 'studl -- I mean 'young' guy. What's your name?"
"I am H'Ro." the young man slaps his chest, "And you?"
"S'Ondra."
"It is a beautiful name." H'Ro says, "But isn't that the same as -"
"Like I said, it's complicated." S'Ondra paces to the window and looks out. She watches some of the prisoners shamble past, not looking up from the ground as they do. The Princess frowns, "What's wrong with them?" she points at the prisoners, "They should be thinking of ways to fight back! But none of them seem to care ... except you. Why is that?"
"Sky people put bad stuff in food." H'Rio explains, "Make brain sick. No think any more. I not eat it."
"You seem in very good shape for someone who's not eating." S'Ondra ought to know, given the detailed study she's done of his abs.
"Found other food." H'Ro explains, "Show you when dark. Don't eat anything from Sky People."
"I won't." S'Ondra promises. She frowns, thinking about what she's been told, "Do you know where the food is made? They must put the ... 'bad stuff' in there. If we could find it and get rid of it, the others would stop being brain sick."
"Food made in Sky People Cave." H'Ro points at the large iron shed.
"Is it guarded?"
H'Ro shrugs,
"Always Sky People in it. Less when dark."
"Then we'll check it tonight." S'Ondr nods, happy to have made a plan.
Meanwhile, the Targ patrol straggles back into the camp. Fury hangs at the back of the group, avoiding eye contact and generally trying not to be noticed.
"Any sign of S;Ondra or the Doc?" he hisses at Archie.
"No, Captain." Archie's antennae squirms around as he scans the camp, "I do not see either of them. Bear in mind that this reality's S'Ondra is probably here, as well."
"Oh, I hadn't forgotten." Fury sounds quite cheered by the prospect.
"Bortran!" the leader of the patrol turns and points at Fury, "Report to hydroponics. You're on ration detail!"
Fury issues a smart, Targ style salute.
"What in damnation did he just say?"
"The Doctor gave lessons in Targ, Captain. Did you not attend?"
"I'm not learning that muck. They're the outsiders, not me. What did he say?"
"You are to report to hydroponics for ration duty."
"Fabulous. Any idea where that is?"
"None, Captain."
"Don't be afraid." a handsome male Venusian appears out of the shadows of the barracks, his open hands held out, palms forward.
"I'm not afraid." S'Ondra looks offended. "I'm angry."
"Angry?" the young man looks puzzled. S'Ondra can't help but notice that he's got baby blue eyes and a cleft chin.
"The Targ come here and take over my world!" the Princess seethes, "They enslave my people!"
"Shhh!" the young man gestures for her to keep her voice down, "They will hear you."
"I don't care! I want to kill them all!"
"How? They have mighty weapons?"
"Oh. Yes." S'Ondra is reminded of the painful reality that she does not have her heat lance.
The Venusian cocks his head to one side and looks at her quizzically,
"You look much like other prisoner." he notes.
"Um ... yes." S'Ondra tries to imagine explaining things to the half-dressed and distractingly well-built young male. "It's complicated."
"So you have no way to fight sky people?"
"No." S'Ondra admits, "But maybe the others will."
"Others?"
The Princess winces as she realises her blunder.
"... Yes. Other Venusians. Venusians exactly like me." she desperately tries to think of a way to change the subject, "Look, I can't just keep thinking of you as 'studl -- I mean 'young' guy. What's your name?"
"I am H'Ro." the young man slaps his chest, "And you?"
"S'Ondra."
"It is a beautiful name." H'Ro says, "But isn't that the same as -"
"Like I said, it's complicated." S'Ondra paces to the window and looks out. She watches some of the prisoners shamble past, not looking up from the ground as they do. The Princess frowns, "What's wrong with them?" she points at the prisoners, "They should be thinking of ways to fight back! But none of them seem to care ... except you. Why is that?"
"Sky people put bad stuff in food." H'Rio explains, "Make brain sick. No think any more. I not eat it."
"You seem in very good shape for someone who's not eating." S'Ondra ought to know, given the detailed study she's done of his abs.
"Found other food." H'Ro explains, "Show you when dark. Don't eat anything from Sky People."
"I won't." S'Ondra promises. She frowns, thinking about what she's been told, "Do you know where the food is made? They must put the ... 'bad stuff' in there. If we could find it and get rid of it, the others would stop being brain sick."
"Food made in Sky People Cave." H'Ro points at the large iron shed.
"Is it guarded?"
H'Ro shrugs,
"Always Sky People in it. Less when dark."
"Then we'll check it tonight." S'Ondr nods, happy to have made a plan.
Meanwhile, the Targ patrol straggles back into the camp. Fury hangs at the back of the group, avoiding eye contact and generally trying not to be noticed.
"Any sign of S;Ondra or the Doc?" he hisses at Archie.
"No, Captain." Archie's antennae squirms around as he scans the camp, "I do not see either of them. Bear in mind that this reality's S'Ondra is probably here, as well."
"Oh, I hadn't forgotten." Fury sounds quite cheered by the prospect.
"Bortran!" the leader of the patrol turns and points at Fury, "Report to hydroponics. You're on ration detail!"
Fury issues a smart, Targ style salute.
"What in damnation did he just say?"
"The Doctor gave lessons in Targ, Captain. Did you not attend?"
"I'm not learning that muck. They're the outsiders, not me. What did he say?"
"You are to report to hydroponics for ration duty."
"Fabulous. Any idea where that is?"
"None, Captain."
Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
Anyone else sense the arrival of a hilarious mistaken identity ambush of Fury by S'Ondra?
Capellan
Explorer
"Total Escape" - Part 8
"Well those buildings are all identical. Probably prisoner barracks." Fury muses, "And the one on our right is obviously the guards' barracks, so I guess that means the big iron shed is our best bet."
"Astonishing. Logic."
Fury's deduction proves accurate as he pushes open the door of the large metal building. The cavernous interior is filled with large steel tanks, from which drift fumes that look suspiciously like the work of a dry ice machine. The Captain wrinkles his nose.
"Something stinks in here."
On each side of the building are flights of stairs, which lead up to a walkway that runs around three of the four walls, and also has two cross-ways, one over each of the giant vats. A Targ technician walks across one of the walkways, running a hand along the guard-rail as he does so. Spotting Fury's entrance, he waves his clipboard and clatters down the stairs to ground level. He speaks, and Archie translates the words for the Captain.
"Good. You're here. Fetch some of the sedative from the store room. We're almost ready to serve their next meal."
Fury snaps a salute, eyes darting around for signs of the storeroom.
"Storeroom?" he whispers to Archie.
"There is a door at the rear of the building. It has a sophisticated locking mechanism. I suspect this is the room in question."
Fury strides purposefully in that direction, casually adjusting his grip on the disruptor he's carrying.
"You can open this 'sophisticated' lock, right?" he whispers as he walks, "Because otherwise I will have to shoot my way out of here."
"I am sure it will not present any trouble." Archie sounds like he would be rolling his eyes, if he had any.
Reaching the door, Fury stands close to the electronic lock, as if punching in the access code. Archie scuttles down his arm and extrudes a cable into the mechanism. There's a rapid series of beeps, then a click as the lock disengages.
"A simple fourth-order recursive polynomial." the robot sniffs his disdain. "Child's play."
Inside the store room are shelf upon shelf of small grey boxes, labelled in Targ. Fury picks one up and peers at it curiously, then - after a quick glance around to make sure there is no-one watching - shoves it in his backpack.
"Analyse the contents, Archie." he instructs as he picks up another box, "Maybe we can find a way to reverse the effects."
Returning the main chamber, Fury closes the store room door and then hands the box over to the technician. The Targ takes it, then points to the corner.
"Put it in the pot over there, then fetch one of your compatriots. We'll serve it immediately."
Moments later, Fury and one of the Targ soldiers waddle out of the shed with a large iron cauldron between them. The 'pot' (as the technician described it) is nearly four feet in diameter, and filled with a lump grey goo.
"Well now I know what was causing that stench." The Captain sounds like he is fighting the urge to gag, "This smells worse than week-old boiled cabbage."
Whatever Fury's opinion of the food, the Venusian prisoners do not seem to have any qualms about it. They assemble quickly when the Targ bangs on the cauldron with a ladle, and then briskly file past, each holding out their cupped hands, into which the soldier splots a ladle-full of the goop.
S'Ondra's dirty, ragged form appears amidst the crowd. Fury frowns, trying to discern if it is 'his' S'Ondra, or her duplicate. As she draws closer, he hums a few bars of the United Earth anthem, but she makes no reaction other than to shove out her hands for food. The Targ gives her a ladle's worth, and she moves on. Seconds later, another S'Ondra appears in the crowd. Even if he had not already seen the other, Fury would have known instantly that this was the 'original'. It's obvious from the grace with which she moves, the proud tild of her jaw, the supple curve of her limbs, the -
"Who is that she's with?"
"Unknown, Captain." Archie's synthesised voice replies. "He appears to be a fit and healthy Venusian, of similar age to the Princess."
"Well, what's she doing with him?" Fury wants to know, "This is a delicate mission! She can't be going around fraternising!"
"Is it not usual to attempt to forge relationships with prospective allies?" Archie wonders.
"Well ..." Fury huffs, "... yes. But how do we know we can trust him? He could be a Targ spy!"
"I doubt it. He seems like a very nice boy. Much cleaner than most of the others. He could be a useful ally in our battle with the Targ."
"Well, I hope the battle starts soon." Fury glares at the pair as they take ladles full of the food and move away, "I really feel like killing something."
"Well those buildings are all identical. Probably prisoner barracks." Fury muses, "And the one on our right is obviously the guards' barracks, so I guess that means the big iron shed is our best bet."
"Astonishing. Logic."
Fury's deduction proves accurate as he pushes open the door of the large metal building. The cavernous interior is filled with large steel tanks, from which drift fumes that look suspiciously like the work of a dry ice machine. The Captain wrinkles his nose.
"Something stinks in here."
On each side of the building are flights of stairs, which lead up to a walkway that runs around three of the four walls, and also has two cross-ways, one over each of the giant vats. A Targ technician walks across one of the walkways, running a hand along the guard-rail as he does so. Spotting Fury's entrance, he waves his clipboard and clatters down the stairs to ground level. He speaks, and Archie translates the words for the Captain.
"Good. You're here. Fetch some of the sedative from the store room. We're almost ready to serve their next meal."
Fury snaps a salute, eyes darting around for signs of the storeroom.
"Storeroom?" he whispers to Archie.
"There is a door at the rear of the building. It has a sophisticated locking mechanism. I suspect this is the room in question."
Fury strides purposefully in that direction, casually adjusting his grip on the disruptor he's carrying.
"You can open this 'sophisticated' lock, right?" he whispers as he walks, "Because otherwise I will have to shoot my way out of here."
"I am sure it will not present any trouble." Archie sounds like he would be rolling his eyes, if he had any.
Reaching the door, Fury stands close to the electronic lock, as if punching in the access code. Archie scuttles down his arm and extrudes a cable into the mechanism. There's a rapid series of beeps, then a click as the lock disengages.
"A simple fourth-order recursive polynomial." the robot sniffs his disdain. "Child's play."
Inside the store room are shelf upon shelf of small grey boxes, labelled in Targ. Fury picks one up and peers at it curiously, then - after a quick glance around to make sure there is no-one watching - shoves it in his backpack.
"Analyse the contents, Archie." he instructs as he picks up another box, "Maybe we can find a way to reverse the effects."
Returning the main chamber, Fury closes the store room door and then hands the box over to the technician. The Targ takes it, then points to the corner.
"Put it in the pot over there, then fetch one of your compatriots. We'll serve it immediately."
Moments later, Fury and one of the Targ soldiers waddle out of the shed with a large iron cauldron between them. The 'pot' (as the technician described it) is nearly four feet in diameter, and filled with a lump grey goo.
"Well now I know what was causing that stench." The Captain sounds like he is fighting the urge to gag, "This smells worse than week-old boiled cabbage."
Whatever Fury's opinion of the food, the Venusian prisoners do not seem to have any qualms about it. They assemble quickly when the Targ bangs on the cauldron with a ladle, and then briskly file past, each holding out their cupped hands, into which the soldier splots a ladle-full of the goop.
S'Ondra's dirty, ragged form appears amidst the crowd. Fury frowns, trying to discern if it is 'his' S'Ondra, or her duplicate. As she draws closer, he hums a few bars of the United Earth anthem, but she makes no reaction other than to shove out her hands for food. The Targ gives her a ladle's worth, and she moves on. Seconds later, another S'Ondra appears in the crowd. Even if he had not already seen the other, Fury would have known instantly that this was the 'original'. It's obvious from the grace with which she moves, the proud tild of her jaw, the supple curve of her limbs, the -
"Who is that she's with?"
"Unknown, Captain." Archie's synthesised voice replies. "He appears to be a fit and healthy Venusian, of similar age to the Princess."
"Well, what's she doing with him?" Fury wants to know, "This is a delicate mission! She can't be going around fraternising!"
"Is it not usual to attempt to forge relationships with prospective allies?" Archie wonders.
"Well ..." Fury huffs, "... yes. But how do we know we can trust him? He could be a Targ spy!"
"I doubt it. He seems like a very nice boy. Much cleaner than most of the others. He could be a useful ally in our battle with the Targ."
"Well, I hope the battle starts soon." Fury glares at the pair as they take ladles full of the food and move away, "I really feel like killing something."
Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
Henry said:Dun-Dun-SPLOT!
Poor Fury - can't even make time with S'Ondra before he's got Arnold Swartzevenusian moving in on her.
Is Fury's hope of making time with S'Ondra forever dashed?
No... there is another!
-z
Capellan
Explorer
"Total Escape" - Part 9
S'Ondra follows H'Ro into the centre of the congregated Venusians. As the other prisoners shovel the gruel-like food into their mouths, H'Ro crouches on his haunches and lets the stuff run out of his hands and onto the dirt. As the Princess follows suit, he wipes his hands on a clump of grass.
"As long as Sky People think we eat food, they think we made dumb like others." H'Ro explains.
"Yes, I get it."
H'Ro flashes a smile. S'Ondra can't help but notice that it's a rather handsome one.
"Sorry. Not used to smart person to talk to."
"You're smarter than I expected, too." the Princess admits, her expression thoughtful. She opens her mouth to say something more, but before she can, H'Ro points over sher shoulder.
"Is that man you came with?"
The Princess turns. Doctor Gustav has just emerged from the building into which he was earlier escorted. He winces a little as he makes his way down the steps, and seems to be walking with pronounced care. S'Ondra looks concerned,
"I hope they didn't hurt him too much."
The camera switches to Fury, as he slops out the last of the Targ goo to the final straggling prisoners.
"Captain," Archie's voice buzzes in his ear, "I am unable to run a full analysis of this substance with the limited facilities of this body. I require more advanced equipment."
"Where am I going to find that?" Fury whispers back.
"Either in the guard barracks or the building from which the Doctor just emerged. These are the only buildings in which I detect significant electrical fields."
"The Doc?" Fury glances around and spots Gustav as the older man staggers toward the cauldron. "Hang on Archie, I have a plan."
With that, the Captain strides toward Doctor. Seeing a Targ soldier bearing down on him, Gustav comes to halt, a weary look on his face.
"Don't worry, Doc - it's me." Fury keeps his voice low as he ostentatiously grabs the other man by the shoulder.
"Captain Fury?"Gustav looks surprised, "How did you get here?"
"It's not important right now." Fury assures Gustav, as he spins the Doctor around and sends him frog-marching back the way he came, "Right now, we have to get Archie inside that building, so act like a prisoner being taken for interrogation."
"She's already seen me, you know." Gustav protests weakly, "She couldn't possibly want to see me again for at least fifteen minutes."
"Look, Doc. Just take one for the team here."
"Trust me, Captain, I already have."
Ignoring the Doctor's protests, Fury marches into the building, past the giant screen of brainwashing, and back toward the Head Scientist's lab. He rattles off instructions to Archie as he walks.
"If you see the kind of instruments you need, then find somewhere in here to hide until it safe to run the tests. Hopefully the Doc will still be around and you can get him out to help you. But don't leave me until after I've been dismissed. I can't speak this foreign muck, remember, so you have to translate everything I say."
The Head Scientist is just sealing up the last tabs on her encounter suit as the three spacefarers enter the laboratory.
"What is the meaning of this!?" she demands, furiously. Her chest swells as she draws a deep breath of outrage, "Barging in here without orders! Outrageous!"
"Buh, buh ..." Fury's opening remarks are not his most insightful. Finally, he gives himself an almost visible mental shake, "The Base Commander sent the prisoner back. He says the prisoner is to be confined here indefinitely, or lobotomised before being returned to the camp populace. The prisoner talks too much."
"Lobotomy would be a waste of his cunning linguistic skills." The Head Scientist muses, in the dirtiest double entendre yet to slip past the BBC board of review. "Put him in the cage over there. I'll find a use for him later."
Fury does as ordered, pushing Gustav into a narrow, cage-like alcove on the side of the room. He then strides back to the door and salutes.
"Will that be all?"
"Yes, yes. Go away." the Head Scientist waves a hand at him distractedly.
"Yes ma'am." Fury snaps off another salute, spins on his heel, and thumbs the switch on the door. As he does so, Archie scuttles out of his backpack, down his leg, and behind some computer consoles. The door closes behind him, and the Head Scientist continues working for a few moments. Then she stops, motionless for a few moments, before murmuring to herself, "Yes, ma'am?"
She activates a communicator on the desk before her. "Commandant? This is the Head Scientist. Please take Soldier Bortran into custody. I have reason to believe we have been infiltrated by an alien spy."
S'Ondra follows H'Ro into the centre of the congregated Venusians. As the other prisoners shovel the gruel-like food into their mouths, H'Ro crouches on his haunches and lets the stuff run out of his hands and onto the dirt. As the Princess follows suit, he wipes his hands on a clump of grass.
"As long as Sky People think we eat food, they think we made dumb like others." H'Ro explains.
"Yes, I get it."
H'Ro flashes a smile. S'Ondra can't help but notice that it's a rather handsome one.
"Sorry. Not used to smart person to talk to."
"You're smarter than I expected, too." the Princess admits, her expression thoughtful. She opens her mouth to say something more, but before she can, H'Ro points over sher shoulder.
"Is that man you came with?"
The Princess turns. Doctor Gustav has just emerged from the building into which he was earlier escorted. He winces a little as he makes his way down the steps, and seems to be walking with pronounced care. S'Ondra looks concerned,
"I hope they didn't hurt him too much."
The camera switches to Fury, as he slops out the last of the Targ goo to the final straggling prisoners.
"Captain," Archie's voice buzzes in his ear, "I am unable to run a full analysis of this substance with the limited facilities of this body. I require more advanced equipment."
"Where am I going to find that?" Fury whispers back.
"Either in the guard barracks or the building from which the Doctor just emerged. These are the only buildings in which I detect significant electrical fields."
"The Doc?" Fury glances around and spots Gustav as the older man staggers toward the cauldron. "Hang on Archie, I have a plan."
With that, the Captain strides toward Doctor. Seeing a Targ soldier bearing down on him, Gustav comes to halt, a weary look on his face.
"Don't worry, Doc - it's me." Fury keeps his voice low as he ostentatiously grabs the other man by the shoulder.
"Captain Fury?"Gustav looks surprised, "How did you get here?"
"It's not important right now." Fury assures Gustav, as he spins the Doctor around and sends him frog-marching back the way he came, "Right now, we have to get Archie inside that building, so act like a prisoner being taken for interrogation."
"She's already seen me, you know." Gustav protests weakly, "She couldn't possibly want to see me again for at least fifteen minutes."
"Look, Doc. Just take one for the team here."
"Trust me, Captain, I already have."
Ignoring the Doctor's protests, Fury marches into the building, past the giant screen of brainwashing, and back toward the Head Scientist's lab. He rattles off instructions to Archie as he walks.
"If you see the kind of instruments you need, then find somewhere in here to hide until it safe to run the tests. Hopefully the Doc will still be around and you can get him out to help you. But don't leave me until after I've been dismissed. I can't speak this foreign muck, remember, so you have to translate everything I say."
The Head Scientist is just sealing up the last tabs on her encounter suit as the three spacefarers enter the laboratory.
"What is the meaning of this!?" she demands, furiously. Her chest swells as she draws a deep breath of outrage, "Barging in here without orders! Outrageous!"
"Buh, buh ..." Fury's opening remarks are not his most insightful. Finally, he gives himself an almost visible mental shake, "The Base Commander sent the prisoner back. He says the prisoner is to be confined here indefinitely, or lobotomised before being returned to the camp populace. The prisoner talks too much."
"Lobotomy would be a waste of his cunning linguistic skills." The Head Scientist muses, in the dirtiest double entendre yet to slip past the BBC board of review. "Put him in the cage over there. I'll find a use for him later."
Fury does as ordered, pushing Gustav into a narrow, cage-like alcove on the side of the room. He then strides back to the door and salutes.
"Will that be all?"
"Yes, yes. Go away." the Head Scientist waves a hand at him distractedly.
"Yes ma'am." Fury snaps off another salute, spins on his heel, and thumbs the switch on the door. As he does so, Archie scuttles out of his backpack, down his leg, and behind some computer consoles. The door closes behind him, and the Head Scientist continues working for a few moments. Then she stops, motionless for a few moments, before murmuring to herself, "Yes, ma'am?"
She activates a communicator on the desk before her. "Commandant? This is the Head Scientist. Please take Soldier Bortran into custody. I have reason to believe we have been infiltrated by an alien spy."
KidCthulhu
First Post
Capellan said:
All this and dirty jokes. Does it get any better?
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