01-26-2015, 07:05 PM
I watched the person across from me with suspicious thought, their beady eyes watch me with the same vigilance as they waited for their chance to strike. I was ready for whatever came with my own arsenal, both of us trapped in a game that could spell the doom of the Omniverse, nay, the entirety of space and time itself!
"Queens and jack high" The quartermaster, who I've learned went by the name of "Janna", put her cards down and waited for me to play my own hand. I looked at the cards I owned: three aces, better than anyone at the table had. That nice plate of cooked fish was mine. But as I was ready to scoop the pot into my side of the makeshift table, I noticed the broken arm in a sling around Janna's shoulder, the thousand yard stare from one crewman who was far more interested in the wall across from him than the cards in his hands. and the screams below us as some poor soul relived the terror in their sleep. I folded the hand face down, and put on my best "Gee, I lost" face. It was omnilium summoned rations for me that night.
It was night time since the battle with the abomination, and those still able (of which there were few) kept watch for any passing ships and making sure the lights and signal flags were all showing. The ship was still aground, propped up on the sandbar, and completely unable to sail even if it wasn't from the damage done to it in the battle. It didn't help that the corpse of the creature was laid out right next to us, trapped on the same shallows. Blowing up most of it with the explosives that were still stashed on board did little to alleviate the dread it held. Not even the seagulls wanted to pick at it.
Everyone was jittery and scared, either in fear that the beast would rise up from its grave to attack again, or the far more mundane possibility that no one would come to save us. The crew had been reduced to a handful of its original number, and those alive weren't in the best shape mentally or physically. Not enough to try to make it to land in the life boats. They weren't going to let me run off on my own to get help, being the most able body here and being a prime meant I would heal my wounds overtime. And probably because they assumed I'd just run off on them. I had no intention of it, but they were smart to think so.
Janna was suffering from the aforementioned broken arm, crushed ribs, and possibly worse when the artillery cannon rolled onto her in the fall and pinned her. I suggested rest, but she told me she wouldn't until they were rescued. Perry had calmed down since his first outburst and only suffered minor damage, but mentally he had been sitting quietly in the corner of his old room for hours before breaking in a violent outburst that I had to deal with. He's since been restrained for his own good, and it was doubtful he'd recover completely. Patches had a concussion from the hit they took and nearly drowned, but was thankfully fished out of the water and resuscitated, and now is just laying on one of the cots in the ad hoc med bay. The kaptain...
"Oy, ya grot, 'and over some of dat dere" was still fucking alive and sunny as ever. Apparently his species are known for being inhumanly tough, as he was still kicking ever after having the lower half of his body chewed off by an being from beyond the stars and one of his arms blown off in the blast. Thankfully he was mostly mechanical in the first place, and he seemed none to concerned about his wounds. Janna slowly moved the plate closer to where the captain was laid out, and he took his half and happily gobbled it down.
"I really am sorry for what happened. This could have been avoid If I just gone the way from you" I said as I shuffled the deck. Considering that I had been the one that led the thing to them, I was surprised they hadn't chained the anchor around my neck and thrown me into the ocean. But the Ork waved me off with his only good arm.
"Gah, it was a good fight!" I could probably respect that kind of attitude if there wasn't such a massive death toll attached to it "Wounds heal, da boys will come back soon enough, the ship will be fixed, and we'll be up and looting again soon enough" He ate a bit more ",'sides, you'ze a Prime. Ya'd just respawn back at the nexus if'd killed ya" Well, thank god for small favors then
"Besides, it probably would have just killed you if you ran the other way, and then it would have attacked us. You saved us with your stunt" Janna added with only a slight pained breath as she looked at her cards.
"I sure as Hell doesn't feel like it. People seem to keep dying around me, and I'm just the lucky one who killed the monster. In this shit hole or back home." I put down my bum cards and drew a few more. "The blood might as well have been on my hands" Maybe I didn't really believe that, but when I thought back to the squad I was with when we hit Phobos, and how they were massacred while I was left to secure the hanger, it felt like an unfortunate trend in my life. It was hard to even remember their names, the memories all a bit fuzzy after my arrival. I couldn't help but feel a little survivor's guilt, even though as a soldier (and one of the best) I should be long past the point of being traumatized by death.
Although it might be for the better in the long run that I care about the death of others.
"Don't go soft on me, Doomy" Choprot told it to me straight "I don't need another blubbering git on me ship. Got enough of those already!" I simply gave the captain the finger and he laughed in response."To bad ya couldn't get dat ring. The shootas are nice, but dey ain't gonna cover the cost of fixing this boat at the Mek's."
I sat staring vacantly for for a second as I realized I had forgotten about the real mission in the chaos that had unfolded. I procured the ring in question from one of my many ammo pouches and held it up like a tasty morsel in front of a trained dog.
"You mean THIS ring?" I asked with a sly smile. If the ork Kaptain wasn't missing both his legs and one of his arms, I'm sure he would have jumped up and hugged me.
"Ya sneaky grot! Toss it over!" He yelled at me with an big toothy grin, loud enough that I think it hurt Janna, and when I tossed it over to him he looked over it in the most minute detail. His smile only got wider the more he looked over it, confirming that I had found the real thing. "Oh, Doom Boy or whatever zogging stupid name ya calling yaself, I oh ya a big favor for dis!"
"How about a part of that fish as a start?"
Rescue did eventually find us later in the night. A fishing trawler passed nearby when it saw the light from the signal fire and pull up as close as it could get. Choprot suggested we try to take it over, but that was quickly shot down when it was pointed out that there was only two life boats to ferry us across and most of the men could barely hold a knife let alone fight. We loaded up on the trawler (along with whatever illicit cargo could be reasonably carried) and took comfort in what little the fisher could provide. They were a bit supcious when the walking armory named "Doomguy" stepped on board, but I told them I was a Prime and they seemed to let it slide.
As we headed back toward Costa Del Sol, I stood out on the main deck, watching the stars and as Crescent Lagoon disappeared in the horizon. I thought about the stars at home, and how different this place it to home. Until I found my way back to the green fields of Earth, I was suck here. And I will have to live here. And fight. And perhaps die.
Until I was face to face with Omni itself, and I found the way back for everyone.
"Queens and jack high" The quartermaster, who I've learned went by the name of "Janna", put her cards down and waited for me to play my own hand. I looked at the cards I owned: three aces, better than anyone at the table had. That nice plate of cooked fish was mine. But as I was ready to scoop the pot into my side of the makeshift table, I noticed the broken arm in a sling around Janna's shoulder, the thousand yard stare from one crewman who was far more interested in the wall across from him than the cards in his hands. and the screams below us as some poor soul relived the terror in their sleep. I folded the hand face down, and put on my best "Gee, I lost" face. It was omnilium summoned rations for me that night.
It was night time since the battle with the abomination, and those still able (of which there were few) kept watch for any passing ships and making sure the lights and signal flags were all showing. The ship was still aground, propped up on the sandbar, and completely unable to sail even if it wasn't from the damage done to it in the battle. It didn't help that the corpse of the creature was laid out right next to us, trapped on the same shallows. Blowing up most of it with the explosives that were still stashed on board did little to alleviate the dread it held. Not even the seagulls wanted to pick at it.
Everyone was jittery and scared, either in fear that the beast would rise up from its grave to attack again, or the far more mundane possibility that no one would come to save us. The crew had been reduced to a handful of its original number, and those alive weren't in the best shape mentally or physically. Not enough to try to make it to land in the life boats. They weren't going to let me run off on my own to get help, being the most able body here and being a prime meant I would heal my wounds overtime. And probably because they assumed I'd just run off on them. I had no intention of it, but they were smart to think so.
Janna was suffering from the aforementioned broken arm, crushed ribs, and possibly worse when the artillery cannon rolled onto her in the fall and pinned her. I suggested rest, but she told me she wouldn't until they were rescued. Perry had calmed down since his first outburst and only suffered minor damage, but mentally he had been sitting quietly in the corner of his old room for hours before breaking in a violent outburst that I had to deal with. He's since been restrained for his own good, and it was doubtful he'd recover completely. Patches had a concussion from the hit they took and nearly drowned, but was thankfully fished out of the water and resuscitated, and now is just laying on one of the cots in the ad hoc med bay. The kaptain...
"Oy, ya grot, 'and over some of dat dere" was still fucking alive and sunny as ever. Apparently his species are known for being inhumanly tough, as he was still kicking ever after having the lower half of his body chewed off by an being from beyond the stars and one of his arms blown off in the blast. Thankfully he was mostly mechanical in the first place, and he seemed none to concerned about his wounds. Janna slowly moved the plate closer to where the captain was laid out, and he took his half and happily gobbled it down.
"I really am sorry for what happened. This could have been avoid If I just gone the way from you" I said as I shuffled the deck. Considering that I had been the one that led the thing to them, I was surprised they hadn't chained the anchor around my neck and thrown me into the ocean. But the Ork waved me off with his only good arm.
"Gah, it was a good fight!" I could probably respect that kind of attitude if there wasn't such a massive death toll attached to it "Wounds heal, da boys will come back soon enough, the ship will be fixed, and we'll be up and looting again soon enough" He ate a bit more ",'sides, you'ze a Prime. Ya'd just respawn back at the nexus if'd killed ya" Well, thank god for small favors then
"Besides, it probably would have just killed you if you ran the other way, and then it would have attacked us. You saved us with your stunt" Janna added with only a slight pained breath as she looked at her cards.
"I sure as Hell doesn't feel like it. People seem to keep dying around me, and I'm just the lucky one who killed the monster. In this shit hole or back home." I put down my bum cards and drew a few more. "The blood might as well have been on my hands" Maybe I didn't really believe that, but when I thought back to the squad I was with when we hit Phobos, and how they were massacred while I was left to secure the hanger, it felt like an unfortunate trend in my life. It was hard to even remember their names, the memories all a bit fuzzy after my arrival. I couldn't help but feel a little survivor's guilt, even though as a soldier (and one of the best) I should be long past the point of being traumatized by death.
Although it might be for the better in the long run that I care about the death of others.
"Don't go soft on me, Doomy" Choprot told it to me straight "I don't need another blubbering git on me ship. Got enough of those already!" I simply gave the captain the finger and he laughed in response."To bad ya couldn't get dat ring. The shootas are nice, but dey ain't gonna cover the cost of fixing this boat at the Mek's."
I sat staring vacantly for for a second as I realized I had forgotten about the real mission in the chaos that had unfolded. I procured the ring in question from one of my many ammo pouches and held it up like a tasty morsel in front of a trained dog.
"You mean THIS ring?" I asked with a sly smile. If the ork Kaptain wasn't missing both his legs and one of his arms, I'm sure he would have jumped up and hugged me.
"Ya sneaky grot! Toss it over!" He yelled at me with an big toothy grin, loud enough that I think it hurt Janna, and when I tossed it over to him he looked over it in the most minute detail. His smile only got wider the more he looked over it, confirming that I had found the real thing. "Oh, Doom Boy or whatever zogging stupid name ya calling yaself, I oh ya a big favor for dis!"
"How about a part of that fish as a start?"
--
Rescue did eventually find us later in the night. A fishing trawler passed nearby when it saw the light from the signal fire and pull up as close as it could get. Choprot suggested we try to take it over, but that was quickly shot down when it was pointed out that there was only two life boats to ferry us across and most of the men could barely hold a knife let alone fight. We loaded up on the trawler (along with whatever illicit cargo could be reasonably carried) and took comfort in what little the fisher could provide. They were a bit supcious when the walking armory named "Doomguy" stepped on board, but I told them I was a Prime and they seemed to let it slide.
As we headed back toward Costa Del Sol, I stood out on the main deck, watching the stars and as Crescent Lagoon disappeared in the horizon. I thought about the stars at home, and how different this place it to home. Until I found my way back to the green fields of Earth, I was suck here. And I will have to live here. And fight. And perhaps die.
Until I was face to face with Omni itself, and I found the way back for everyone.
![[Image: oGzCtPC.png]](http://i.imgur.com/oGzCtPC.png)