TUELLER: “Millie. You’re going to have to figure out which one of us is at fault, here.”
ALEJO: Alejo brightens at this and smiles.
TUELLER: “Because….well, this is probably as good a time to mention as any, but your room took a direct hit.”
TUELLER: “And whoever is at fault owes you a new wardrobe.”
MILLICENT: “Yes, someone is going to have to go retrieve my Kubawashi, because it appears to be snagged on the nose of the ship.”
ALEJO: Alejo puts his finger on his nose. “Not it.”
MILLICENT: Millie points to Tueller. “Id.” Points to herself. “Ego.” Points to Alejo “Superego.”
MILLICENT: Millie sighs, “Gentlemen, I think we need each other.
Chapter 16
ALEJO: “Oh my gods, man. We literally just found out where we might go. For an educated guy, you’re about as patient as a . . . ” He trails off looking at Tueller. “Really big guy.”
TUELLER: Alejo’s talking to an empty chair.
MILLICENT: Two
MILLICENT: Two empty chairs
MILLICENT: Millie’s swivels
ALEJO: Alejo stands and heads to the EVAs as well.
ALEJO: “When’d I become the dad?”
ALEJO: He mutters to himself and follows.
Continue reading “Chapter 16”
Chapter 15
TUELLER: “You’re the captain now.”
TUELLER: “Let me know how it goes for you.”
STORY: “Oh, dear.”
TUELLER: “Heavy lies the crown.”
STORY: You spend a few hours gliding through space on a different trajectory. It’s now well into the night.
STORY: Noma beeps through again. “Sensor readouts indicate a large mass of rock, organic material, and… electronic activity.”
STORY: “Low radio signals, but whatever that is, it appears to be… on.”
TUELLER: Toggling ship wide comms: “Everyone who’s up get up here.”
TUELLER: Quietly enough not to wake deep sleepers.
TUELLER: “Sorry, you’re not the captain anymore.”
TUELLER: “Good job, though, girl.”
STORY: “Thank you, Mr. Ya’Makasi.”
Chapter 9
TUELLER: “Alejo, I’m not sure you’ve ever meet Ruma, Nandini’s widow.”
TUELLER: “So sorry again for your loss. For all our loss.” To Ruma.
TUELLER: Tueller is genuinely sorry, btw. Not antagonistic.
STORY: Alejo, she shakes your hand warmly, wincing at Tueller’s last comment but not responding. “Alejo Soto? I hadn’t had the pleasure. Nice to meet you.”
ALEJO: Alejo bows his head deeply. “Madame.”
STORY: “Tueller, I had some trouble securing the armaments you had requested, but was able to pull some strings to get it done. The boarding armor will be delivered to the Peregrine when we arrive tomorrow to begin the refits. Now, if I may be so bold, I have done you a favor, and I’d like to ask one of you.”
TUELLER: “I am in your debt.”
TUELLER: He says that in a formal sort of way.
STORY: “Glad you understand. I’d like, Mr. Ya’Makasi, for you to help me become pregnant.”
Continue reading “Chapter 9”
Chapter 8
STORY: “Captain, Dr. Breedlove wants to give me a robot arm.”
Continue reading “Chapter 8”
Chapter 7
MILLICENT: “If you don’t help us contain the fuel cell we stole from you we’re going to become target practice for every bit of iron-ish ore meteorite in the Sol system in a matter of hours.”
STORY: She closes her eyes. “You stole the trirubidium.”
STORY: “Did you not read the signs?”
ALEJO: Alejo lays a comforting hand on her shoulder. “We did. But that’s not the leading story right now, T’chololl. We need your help.”
STORY: She sighs. “Humans.”
STORY: “What is on my chest?”
ALEJO: “We had to do some things to save your life.”
MILLICENT: “Oh. I built that!”
MILLICENT: “It keeps your body from expelling the jet fuel I turned your blood into.”
MILLICENT: “It’s been a long day all around, but I won’t begrudge you a particular feeling of disorientation about that news.”
STORY: “Jet fuel.”
MILLICENT: “Inert jet fuel.”
Continue reading “Chapter 7”
Chapter 6
MILLICENT: “They thrive on adventure, Emma! Their meat is combat and their drink is…other kinds of combat!”
STORY: She looks down at your hands. “Obviously.”
TUELLER: “Whiskey, actually.”
MILLICENT: “And whiskey!”
MILLICENT: “The tall one drank the Scotch we were saving!”
TUELLER: “It was alright.”
STORY: Her jaw drops, an unusual show of emotion. “You’re kidding me.”
TUELLER: “You’d be better off with a scotch from Enceladus, if we’re being honest. I’ll see if I can get you some next time we’re in port.”
TUELLER: “It was overcasked.”
STORY: “The Balvenie Nikka… my father rescued that from his commission when they broke apart in the Nier asteroid belt.”
TUELLER: Shrugging. “Overcasked. You’re better off without it.”
Continue reading “Chapter 6”
Chapter 3
STORY: You hear a growling voice pipe in over the intercom. “A CHALLENGER.”
STORY: “WELCOME.”
TUELLER: Tueller is going towards his flashlight as he hears that.
TUELLER: “Excellent!”
ALEJO: “Oh boy.” Alejo slips a headlamp over his stocking cap.
TUELLER: Tueller gets his light on, held in his off hand, and sweeping the cargo bay area.
TUELLER: His right hand is ready to punch something.
STORY: “TAKE MY SHIP, CHALLENGER, OR DIE. IF YOU WISH TO BE GRANTED *the universal translator issues the long beep that indicates a word it doesn’t understand* SPEAK NOW.”
TUELLER: Tueller grins.
ALEJO: Alejo clears his throat. “Granted what?” He mutters this and then repeats it louder.
STORY: “SKU-FARNUM.”
TUELLER: “We need the ship and we don’t have a ride. I’m assuming we’re not interested in asylum or mercy or painless death or what ever sku-farnum is.”
ALEJO: “Right.” Alejo frowns. “We’re taking your ship.”
ALEJO: Alejo shouts this at no one in particular.
TUELLER: “It’s our ship. You just haven’t given it up yet.”
STORY: “A FIGHT, THEN. EXCELLENT. COME FIND ME, TWO-VOICE.”
Continue reading “Chapter 3”
Chapter 2
MILLICENT: “Until very recently I worked with a genius. His was a mind that would have led a generation into the light. I was his strong right hand. Ready with a calculation or a reference or a note.”
MILLICENT: “At the beginning of his career and our relationship he petitioned the Ark Council for access to their scientific records.”
MILLICENT: “Discovery is made on the back of our forebears.”
MILLICENT: “If we were to take our place in the new galactic economy we would surely need to be on the same technological page.”
MILLICENT: “We would need some time to ramp up our production, economy and even our conception of the universe.
MILLICENT: “The Ark Council sent back three words in reply:”
MILLICENT: “Enjoy your youth.”
MILLICENT: “That is our mission, ladies and gentlemen. We will make them pay for those words. We will take our place in the stars, we will not wait to be told it.”
Continue reading “Chapter 2”
Chapter 1
MILLICENT: “Why did you steal this ship?”
MILLICENT: “Presuming your theft had gone according to plan?”
TUELLER: Shrugging. “I didn’t want to be on Mars anymore.”
ALEJO: Alejo smiles. “We . . . needed some space.”
STORY: “I can give you quite a bit of space if you’d step closer to the door, Mr. Soto.”
TUELLER: “No spacing!” Closest to panic you’ve seen from him.
ALEJO: Alejo rolls his eyes. “I’m sure you can.”
STORY: “Thank you for appreciating my humor subroutine.”
MILLICENT: “I’ve got this, Noma.”
MILLICENT: “Gentlemen. I don’t believe you and I control the airlocks.”