Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Sometimes
Nana has been so tired as of late. School seems to have that affect. Sucks that it does since Nana likes to learn.

Nana has been working on her book as of late as well, and has gotten somethings done but not the things that are needed to connect some earlier chapters.

heres the start of the newest chapter. lets see if you can place it with the rest that Nana has posted.

***
Biku grunted as he tore the last panel from the bulkhead. He looked down the gutted corridor as he tossed the panel into a pocket that was set up on the adjacent wall. The work was easy and menial but it kept him occupied. The plan that Vermillion had laid out was to strip all the exterior and interior of all the non ship essential parts and to refit it with newer, more suitable armor.
A light beeping came from the device that held the pocket open. Biku squatted and looked at the display; it was full. He typed the key combination he was taught and closed the pocket. With a sigh he opened up a comm. channel to the head of construction.
“Yeah?” The man on the other end spoke with a slight rash as though he had been doing some hard labor.
“It’s full.” Biku said flatly.
“What’s left?”
“I’ve stripped the outer walls and the bulkheads.” Biku looked at the wall in front of him, “All that is left is for the other team to come and replace the systems.”
“I see.” The man paused, “Given what I have heard about you I know you hate to be thanked so I’ll forgo that.”
“Is there any thing else I can do? Maybe something a bit more challenging.”
“Ask the acting commander. I’ve got nothing left on my end.”
Biku sighed, “Nice.” He shut off the comm. and stood up. The commander, that girl that was hanging off of Vermillion like some whore. Great.
Biku stared at the blinking lights and flowing neuro-gel that stood exposed inside the bulkheads. How the hell does this stuff run a computer? All it is is a bunch of data. Why would the data need this fake blood?
The comm. on his wrist started to beep. What now? He turned it on, “What?”
“Well,” It was the man from earlier, “I spoke to the commander and she has asked me to have you meet her in the lower airlock on deck 30.”
“Any reason?”
“She said it would be challenging.”
Biku rubbed his forehead, “Right.” The comm. cut out. Me and my big mouth.
The trip to the airlock was not all that difficult, just a bit tedious. Since most of the ship’s internal systems were down, all the lifts were also down; so he had to climb down several different shafts and crawl through some access tunnels to make it to the destination. The door was open when he arrived and the woman stood there with her space suit half on. She looked up at him as he entered, “Welcome.” She pointed to an open closet, “Put one on.”
“Don’t need one.” Biku said as he walked up to her.
“Uh,” She zipped up the suit, “yes you will. I don’t care what you are, space will kill you.” She scratched her head, “Somewhat.”
She had a point. Biku shook his head and grabbed a suit his size, “What are you planning on doing?”
The woman picked up a pair of gloves from the bench and sealed them to her suit, “They just attached the new deflector dish, we need to do a systems check and run a pass through the main frame.”
“And this requires my help how?” Biku asked as he sealed his gloves the way he had seen the woman do it.
“It is a two person job and you wanted a challenge.” The woman checked her gas levels, “And I know you haven’t been space walking yet.”
“How is it any different than normal?” Biku stared at his read out; it meant nothing to him.
“First you’ll be upside down, then you have the magnetic cling of the boots. Then there’s the fact that after a few feet you’ll have to guide yourself through a formless vacuum till we reach the dish.” The woman put her hands on her hip, “Since I know you can’t fly, you might have a bit of trouble with that.”
Biku scuffed and put on his helmet. It felt a bit uncomfortable. The last time he wore a helmet was when he was with the army back home, and those were metal and not as tight fitting. He put on the air pack and followed the woman into the inner airlock and followed her lead to turn on the magnetic boots. When the inner doors closed, a rush of air left the tight room and Biku felt a slight pull on his skin and inners. It was definitely an interesting sensation.
The outer doors opened and the vast broken under belly of the ship was laid out before him. All around the hull was stripped leaving the outer frame exposed. A small work shuttle passed below; Biku looked down, or maybe up would be a better way of saying it. He was standing on some sort of ground and even though it was the boots that held him there, it could be considered down. Yes, that is the best was of thinking about this. It would keep from disorientation.
“You coming?” The woman’s voice over the comm. broke through the silence that had engulfed them when the air of the ship was sucked out.
Biku looked at her, her face was slightly hidden by the glean of the spot lights that reflected off her visor, “I don’t have much of a choice now do I.”
The woman shook her head and left the airlock. Biku disliked the way the boots clung to the metal hull. It felt quite unnatural. Not like any of this has been all that natural in the first place. All around in the large bay area the construction crew was working at a frantic pace. Momentary sparks leapt from beams being pieced in the distance. Shuttles appearing and disappearing around the ship. People floating free as they travel to another work site.
Biku followed the woman out of the airlock and across the metallic ground that composed the hull. It wasn’t so much a metallic clunking sound as it was the thought of the sound that filled Biku’s ears.
***

NNM
Hina found KunKun
I'm not a zombie
She's got a head in the world.... a few actually
Anyone home?
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