Richard's Animorphs Forum
Animorphs Section => Animorphs Role Playing => Topic started by: RAFrukh on May 17, 2011, 10:10:20 AM
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Upon crashing into the Galaxy's Edge Space Bar(Like so many...), Van(Pyrebrd) was injured. He received some medical assistance from Adam(Steph), a willing controller, but it turned out to be not so helpful. Ambassador Ogreon(Rukh), a Clangst, offered to bring Van and his new friend Ewa(AmberKatira) to his science-ship named the Urtahn. Being large and dedicated to science, the ship has a massive medical-bay with the most sophisticated equipment this side of the Batern Rift. Now they've beamed up directly to the Urtahn's bridge...
Three small spherical lights appeared in the front of the bridge near the large view-screen. Then each was surrounded by a large red form. Each form was easily identified even before it was half-way beamed – a Clangst and two Humanoids. Each red glow teamed with smaller white glows that spun in circles around the red, like birds skimming the surface of a vast, glowing red ocean. The redness faded to reveal a rematerialized Ogreon, Van, and Ewa.
Ogreon smiled, "Welcome to the U.A.I. Urtahn!"
There were 7 touch-screen stations, and two hologram/gesture recognition terminals. Ogreon's table-like chair was in the very center of the round bridge. To it's right and slightly forward was another table-like chair, on which sat his first officer, Nefudaa.
Nodding, Nefudaa welcomed Ogreon and the others on the bridge, "Greetings. Welcome to the Urtahn."
To the left of Ogreon's captain's chair was a humanoid chair, where his Ansrian second officer sat. He looked just like a human. The only difference was internal – a five-chambered heart. He was telepathic and empathic. He nodded in agreement with Nefudaa's salutations.
In front of those three seats were three primary stations – Conn, used to pilot the ship and manned by a Flurat(Pic 1); Ops, monitoring systems and sensors and manned by a Human; and Tactical, self-explanatory, manned by a Biishau(Pic 2).
To the left and right of the central command dais were the two holographic stations. The users were variables, and the stations were mostly just for convenience. Behind the command dais were 4 science stations inserted in the aft wall. To the left and right were turbolifts to enter and exit the bridge.
Ogreon gestured with his two fingered hand, "Come, come. I will escort you to sickbay. We will take turbolift #2, to the right."
He walked up the ramp and into the turbolift, "Sickbay deck, hold." He waited for the others.
PICTURE 01
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g437/Scinlao/IMG_0381.jpg)
PICTURE 02
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g437/Scinlao/IMG_0376.jpg)
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The Urtahn.
Like what Van would have expected of a government ship, it was spacious and well-staffed, yet also seemed... he couldn't quite describe it. It was simply a beautiful ship, with onboard technology that was both familiar to him, and some that remained rather mysterious. That, and the races here were definitely unfamiliar.
He tried hard not to look too surprised, but it was difficult to avoid it. It was impossible to say that if a person saw one alien race, they had "seen them all", because that was a far cry from the truth. The diversity of different evolutionary paths, conditions, and cultures always produced vastly different species, and when among space-faring sentients you didn't know, some shock was a given.
Van glanced back at Ewa, and tried to prop himself up, "Well, Ewa, I didn't expect us all to show up at once! Luckily, we didn't all combine into one horrible mishmash or something. Hehe."
He held up a hand towards her with a smile.
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Although the new setting was surprisingly different from the run-down and almost rural landscape Ewa had first entered, it was still clearly not the prep room she had been expecting.... Did that mean she was on the right track then? Even without so much as a name? It was an encouraging thought.
She smiled at Van. "I think you've already had enough bad luck for one day." Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, she tries to lift him without jostling his injured leg too much. "It would be incredibly unfair of the universe to scramble all of your particles on top of everything else," she comments as the join Ogreon in the lift.
They've even purposely made left me a function by not transporting directly to sick bay.
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Ogreon smiled as they entered the Turbolift, "Transporter technology is a tried and true means of transportation. It's safe, quick, and effective. There are quicker means of travel in development that take only a fraction of a second, as opposed to 3 or 4 seconds of teleportation. But they're not incorporated into most Alliance ships yet."
When they were all inside, Ogreon commanded the computer to resume. The doors hissed shut and the graviton generators compensated quickly for the swift downward and sideways movement.
"This shouldn't take too long...so, how did you like my little bridge?", Ogreon asked, eagerly awaiting their responses.
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Van looks up at Ogreon, and grins, "I'd say my bridge was sexier, chaa. Buuut... since you have a full-time crew, rules and regs to deal with, there's gotta be a little less you can do about customization."
He pauses, as the graviton lift continued moving along its way, "Mmm, chaasi! I'd say I'm jealous, too! This is one heck of a ship! Exactly how does this lift work, anyways? It's moving... sideways-ish?"
Van glanced around, like a child. Part of it was his own natural curiosity, but it was certainly cultural, as well. A strong sense of curiosity was among the things that originally brought the Beryllians to Earth, and in classic Beryllian fashion, they latched onto that planet like a kid in a candy store. But, the pirate's curiosity was also well beyond mere cultural quirks: some of the technology here was certainly different from what he was used to. Perhaps it was just a few relative years ahead of the world he knew, or perhaps it wasn't. Van wasn't quite sure, and culture shock was definitely a little... new for him.
Van didn't precisely know how it happened, but he really was a world away from home.
I don't want to tell him, but... I kinda want to grab his stuff and run! Seriously, a working transporter thingy would be beyond lucrative. Heh, I wonder if Ewa's shocked by all this gadgetry?
I guess we're technically on-level, though. Yet, from the sound of it, things have become so stable where he's from, that they actually have time to make shiny things.
Ahhh, zhon nichaa... I guess the big question is, where am I?!
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"It seemed very practical, but I'm really not familiar enough with this sort of ship to say much else. Do you use it more as a transport or research vessel? Or military even?"
This seemed like a good opportunity to dig for more world building information. Van had just demonstrated that being unfamiliar with these surroundings was not the same as dismissing a reconstructing bar.
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Ogreon smiles at Van's interest in the lifts, "They do move sideways yes. There are 20 turbolift cars on the ship. There are a series of passageways throughout the ship, vertical and horizontal, that take the turbolifts to any deck. Since nobody deserve to stop moving, even though turbolifts mve fast enough not to cause traffic jams, the computer calculates if the turbolift will collide with another, and if so will find the next shortest route for one of the cars."
After thinking for a moment he added, "Each car has three graviton generators on the floor and in the walls. These create artificial gravity and compensate for recoil and such when the lift moves fast. Since the computer knows how fast the car is moving, it can activate the generators to exactly the right frequency just as the car begins to move, so that those inside experience only a momentary shift."
Looking to Ewa he states, "It is very practical. My ship is a research vessel, but it is equipped with Astrofleet phase'r arrays, Electron Torpedoes, and Gravimetric Torpedoes to defend itself. The best of Alliance weaponry. Oh, and it is surrounded by two shield layers, a magnetic field, chaos field and is equipped with a cloaking device! It also has a few devices we use for scientific purposes, such as the new Temporal Distortion Mechanism. But we can get into the technicalities later if you wish, we are approaching sickbay..."
The lift audibly slid to a halt and the doors hissed open. Ogreon stepped out. Various crew members, mostly non-human and non-humanoid nodded to the Ambassador as they passed him. Ogreon just smiled proudly as the humanoids followed him through the corridors to sickbay.
"As for customization, my ship is prepared for senior crew discharges and replacements just as well as the everyday shifts. The chairs beside mine on the bridge for instance, are above platforms on the floor that can turn them into energy and absorb them, to use some of that energy to create a new chair, perhaps for a different species. It's called replication technology. We use it to make food too, so don't be afraid to ask for food because we have an almost unlimited amount of energy. Our engines are matter/antimatter reactors, so you can imagine how much power we get every minute!"
Ogreon decided he was babbling on. So he remained quiet for a while.
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Suddenly, with the explanation of the lifts, Van felt more comfortable. It sounded a lot closer to home than he thought, though his current condition probably heightened the sense of movement he was feeling from the car.
He nodded, suddenly understanding,"Ah, the computerized paths and general operations of the lift sound lot like... nichaa, freighter routes, where I'm from. Granted, within shipping, I guess they do have something similar to the Turbolifts, it's just that I've just never really dealt with it that often. That, and I'm usually hijacking freighters, not touring them..."
Van paused, wrinkling his rather perky nose, "Actually, I think they are standardized, just not as people transports. Heheh, my bad."
At least the tech isn't completely out of my league! Ok, so maybe just the transporter is. Huh... "Phase'r arrays, Electron torpedoes, and Gravimetric torpedoes"... Shoot, what's the scale of gravitic technology, here?! Ok, it probably just sounds crazy, wanna bet that all they do is latch onto an enemy's warp signature and home on it through warp space.
......Ok, that is scary. Not even warping will let you escape...
"....Temporal Distortion Mechanism? Sounds like a gravity-warping device to me, but I dunno, Ogreon. ...Eh, chaa, what's the scale of gravitic technology where you're from, anyways?"
At this point, Ogreon was explaining things so quickly, Van tried to keep up. It was all too interesting! Replication technology?! That's only been mastered with energy technologies pioneered by Thyllians! And most of that was inaccessible to the pirates, anyways. That was primarily because the main producer of energy technologies was a certain mad Thyllian Oligarch named As'tolian.
The matter/antimatter engines were another thing entirely. That kind of technology still existed in science fiction, and it told him exactly how advanced Ogreon's people really were. It sounded like a perpetual motion machine. A pipe dream, really. And it made Van's jaw drop.
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Ogreon listened with interest to Van's explanTion of his home-universe.
"It sounds like you are in disarray. The closest thing we have to pirates in our universe is a Hegemony of Martians that wants the Sol star system back, so they raid earth ships and the two human colonies."
As Van asked more, he explained, "The Temporal Distortion Device warps time directly, allowing for intertemporal travel. It may have to do with gravity, but...I admit, I have not had the chance to study it yet. It is a new technology. It is only found in 4 or 5 Alliance starships. I was lucky to get one myself."
He wanted to know about how advanced the Alliance's gravimetric technology was?
"It is actually quite advanced! I'm not sure exactly how much, but...tractor beams, gravimetric torpedoes, graviton generators, Pulsce, and Transpulsce engines, QIN drive, Wormhole generators...wow, actually I did t even realize how much gravitic technology the Alliance had until now!"
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"Well, being a pirate myself, I can proudly say I'm probably among the reasons why... we.. can't exactly bend time yet," the pirate groaned. This 'Temporal Distortion Device' was just really insane. But, he wondered, has Ogreon even used it yet?
Ogreon's list of various gravimetric devices certainly seemed like less of a surprise, as a result. Yep, they really were well-versed in gravitic technologies. Tractor beams and wormhole generators were fair enough, both existed where he came from, but the mysterious gravimetric torpedo was bugging him.
"Exactly what does a gravimetric torpedo do, anyways? Do they, uh chaa, latch onto a ship's gravitic warp signature, and home in on it through the warp? Because that is scary, chaa."
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Ogreon looked at him for a moment, "Gravitic warp signature? You mean the bend in space-time their engines cause? No...actually it is the Aliance's second most devastating projectile weapon. I refused to have the most powerful one added, because I am a diplomat and this is a shipmof science.
"A gravimetric torpedo generates a phased Chroniton field that tightly hugs it's figure. This allows it to pass through most shields with ease. That's why it replaced the Flak Rotillum projectile, which was designed to lower enemy shields. That's not necessary now with the Chroniton field. Anyway...obviously it flies through the shields and towards the target's hull. Once it hits, it detonates, releasing an omnidirectional pulse of gravitons on differing, fluctuating frequencies. This compresses the target in some areas, expands it in others, and punctures it in yet others. In the end it can shatter enormous ships piece by piece. Needless to say, I don't use those very often. In fact, I usually just cloak and leave the area."
Ogreon looked slightly saddened by the thought of using such a weapon.
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Van stared, and opened and closed his mouth in shock, and eventually left it it agape.
"That... is way worse than I thought it'd be. If that counts as 'second most powerful', I don't wanna know the first, chaa...."
He then closed his mouth, and coughed. Note to self, no stealing as far as this Alliance is concerned. Maybe Jack could do it, but ugh. I don't like to even think about that, now.
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Ogreon tried to downplay the destructive capacityof the projectile "But, it Only shatters a small area on large ships and it doesnt always work..."
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"Still, it sounds like a lot of weaponry for a research vessel. Is there some sort of war or ongoing rebellion that you're worried about? I'd think it would have to be extreme to make those sorts of weapons part of a standard defense on a non-military ship, unless...... what is it you're researching that makes you so targeted?"
Ewa thought it might also just be an extreme level of paranoia. Historically, races that worked actively with temporal disruption tended to either disappear or become too controlling for their own good. If they survived long enough, they'd probably drop the research, just like everyone in the real universe except the Turkens. Reasonable people realize you only want to mess with time so much.
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Ogreon sighed, "I don't research anything in particular. My ship charts the unknown, makes new discoveries. It's rather exiting. But the galaxy is full of terrors...the Alvie, the Galactic Domination Coalition, the Kqorrians. And now there a renewed, and extreme threat from the Pirates. We recently discovered that the pirates are lead by a species called the J'khuraaans. But we knew the J'khuraaans before we realized they were the pirates.
"You see, the J'khuraaans are...martians. They came from mars. Millions of years before humans, the J'khuraaans lived on mars. But they called it J'khuraa, obviously. One day, however, a meteorite smashed into Mars and disfigured the entire ecological and biological system, ruining the atmosphere and so forth. So they ran. Earth, or Ninya as they called it, was desolate at the time, so they did not colonise it, but simply left the system. But chunks of the fertile J'khuraa crashed into the planet between Ninya and J'khuraa, Nor. Nor had a thick, thick atmosphere. Some life managed to cling on for years.
"But since those chunks slammed into Nor, they pushed it off it's orbit. It eventually collided with Ninya, producing Earth and it's own plentiful life. Now the J'khuraaans want the system back. And they've had millions of years to advance their technology. They're equal in advancement to the Reptilinod, or our own Alliance. So they pose a real, and more immanent threat than the Alvie. They're cold, calculating. And they'll do anything to get Earth for themselves. Their range of pirating activity is quite extensive, so...I asked for a gravimetric torpedo bay."
Ogreon decided against telling them about the recent attack on Earth. He was afraid it would make them think the Alliance was not only overbearing, but...hiding it's weakness with power. Not that it was weak, just that he didn't want to make it seem so.
"Ah, here we are. Sickbay."
The doors hissed open, admitting him and his friends.
"Doctor Vallav, are you occupied?", Ogreon called.
A strange creature emerged from the room to the right. It looked rather like a dragon, but it stood erect. It had two pairs of antennae on it's upper jaw, and two dangling feelers on it's lower jaw. It's hands were similar to Ogreon's, except they had two fingers and a thumb, as opposed to one finger and a thumb. It's legs were long and thin. Where a human abdomen would be was...well, a toothpick. it was quite a skinny animal. It was wider at the chest and the hips, giving it a slight feminine appearance. It's short tail twitch now and then, and it's warm friendly eyes smiled all on their own.(I'll upload a pic if you guys ask me to. :P)
"Not at all, Captain! Feeling alright?"
"No, Vallav, actually I'm quite energized. But my friend here needs some medical assistance. His ship crashed into the bar and his leg was injured."
Vallav looked at the wound, "Zespys, that's bad! Please, this way!" Vallav's long legs carried him to the critical care biobed rather swiftly.
Ogreon looked at Van and ewa, "If he seems energetic, he is. He's an Aquius-Fiiorgan. It's a symbiotic species. The Aquius is a reptile-like creature and the Fiiorgan is a slug-like creature that lives in the base of his tail. He's one of the few to actually become a host. As I was saying, together the Aquius and the Fiiorgan create a high-metabolism. So if he's a little peppy, you know why."
Ogreon watched and walked over as Vallav programmed the biobed for human physiology. His last critical patient had been an Andalite, which needed a much different table. The table rippled and glowed a rich blue color. The rippling dissipated and where the table was was now empty space. Then, the air seemed to ripple, and another blue glow appeared, this time replaced with a humanoid biobed.
Vallav gestured to it, "Please, have a seat, uh...what is my patient's name?"
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Ewa had never heard of this exact scenario before, but the elements were not unusual.
"And what is it that keeps you here? Is this some kind of outpost? I doubt you would have invited two strangers aboard your ship if this area was truly unfamiliar to you, or if you expected to encounter pirates."
With Van in tow, she followed Dr. Vallav and watched the table change shape. That reminded her...
"Did you say there were replicators we could make use of? I think it's time I changed."
And with so few humans around, I can probably settle on an appearance now without fear of standing out too much.
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"Keeps me here? On my ship? Well...I'm the captain. I can't just leave. As I said, we explore uncharted frontiers. We spotted a fluctuation in the space-time continuum and came to investigate. We just got here. As for bringing complete strangers aboard my ship, I am a diplomat. I assist whenever I can in the hopes of making a good impression."
Ewa asked about the replicators. Vallav spoke up before Ogreon could.
"Yes! Through that door over there is a few self-care units. They have lockable doors, just press the red button on the touch-pad. Inside are two replicators. They are small, but they should be large enough to create proper sized clothing for you."
He looked at Van, "Come one then, come on then! I have a fungus culture just begging for my attention in the back room!"
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Van blinked at the doctor, not sure how to answer. Thanks to Ogreon's rather concise history, it would probably be better not to mention his occupation. Maybe 'mercenary' would do? He wasn't quite sure.
He pulled himself up towards the biobed, and grinned nervously, "I'm Van Aldbaran, mercenary extraordinaire. And, uh... My legs haven't stopped tingling yet, and I know my right leg is either, ah... broken, or fractured. Oh, and I'm bruised, here or there. I can deal with those... Basically, I'm in a real mess, chaa."
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Vallav looked at the man a little strange, "I don't need a resume mister Aldbaran, I take care of anyone and anything that's comes through those doors. Let me run a...wait, I think my universal translator is malfunctioning what is the exact definition of chaa? Wait, wait, I'll go get my s.e.n.s.o.r. And you can tell me when I get back..."
His long, lean legs carried him back to his office, where you could see him through the transparent walls on the small, semi-circular office. He plopped a glass sized object on his table. He pressed a few keys on the touch-display. A holographic image of a roundish object with a few actual buttons and a small touch screen appeared. Vallav pressed a final key, and the top ogle the device generated something that looked like electricity. From the electricity grew the device. It wasn't Replicator technology, it didn't look the same. Not the blue ripple and glow. It was a Hypostore((I think van may like this..:) ))
Walking back quickly, Vallav turned on the device and it made a soft beeping sound every 3 seconds as he scanned Van from a small distance.
"Oh yes, so what is chaa? Is it an interjection? Or a noun? An adjective!"
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((So I'm too lazy to redo the lost posts for Ewa. Basically she was flummoxed by the replicator, got Ogreon to help her, was surprised it managed to make real clothes, and then asked permission to replicate items/weapons, which she got conditionally. Ogreon just left the room))
Ewa changed into her clothes to give herself time to think. Everything fit just as she wanted, and she kept subconsciously running her hands over her coat. It is real, but this replicator doesn't work the way it should.... they must be using a real converter.... just tampered with the appearance somehow.... which means I could ask for....
"Computer, create a standard Paladinian shifter bar." That would allow her to change her clothing as needed throughout the rest of this run.
"Requested item not recognized. Please input appropriate information."
Okay, so maybe it was set to disallow anything that would not fit with her character profile. Ewa felt this was confirmed when the replicator made her five small knives, a belt, the "phaser" weapon Ogreon had mentioned, some strips of cloth, a pen and notebook, and a number of hair ties.
Still there was something that told her..... Using one of her knives, she made a small slice on her arm. She focused on the cut, concentrating all of her physiological control on the small area, priming and energizing the cells for a directed changed. Now they would shift to whatever she wanted. She wiped the blood up on her fingers, holding her mind in a still balance.
"Computer, scan the substance on my fingers." It complied with the same sweep it had produced earlier. "Replicate this. I want three 5 mL vials with replaceable vacuum seals."
And the computer obeyed. It gave her something that would only be useful to a wounded Paladinian--to her specifically.
It's probably just a special safety net. Look how seriously Van is taking his role. It's probably just in case something goes too far. But another part of her was wondering if anything was what she thought it was.... if maybe she wasn't in over her head far more than she realized.
Still, she stored the vials away in her coat and went back out into the med bay. She still had her own changes to make to her appearance, but she felt she had already spent too much time away and that they might be waiting on her.
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"What is 'Chaa'? It's nothing, really. Uh, it's from a regional dialect of my language. It doesn't translate very well into anything, but I guess the closest thing I could say is, uh... 'yeah'. It follows sentences, phrases... But doesn't start them, or stand alone. A guess."
Van pauses awkwardly, then grins, holding back a snicker, "But I can't break the habit, chaa."
By then, the dragon-like doctor, Vallav, brought out an odd device. It behaved like a scanner, and he had called it a 's.e.n.s.o.r.', or something like that.
Van blinked as the doctor went about scanning him over, "Heh. Ask me a question, so I get to return the favor! What exactly is that? Or, for that matter," he paused, and pointed at the Hypostore, "That? You and your Captain have been... uh, pleasantly surprising me with your tech all day long."
((Same post, edited! Durrhurr.))
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((Let's continue as if the warp never happened, lol. I finished fixing your leg, Ewa is changing, Vallav ran of and Ogreon apologized for his frankness.))
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Thanks to Vallav's rather advanced doctoring skills, Van was pleased to see (and feel) that leg was healed. The tingling sensations were finally, thank goodness, gone, and even the scarring and scab marks weren't quite visible. Van was rather taken aback by how highly sophisticated the technology was, but then he had to mentally step back and remember who Ogreon and his crew were: diplomats.
If there was anything in the world that had the technology and money to do these things, it was the government. A big, powerful government. And Ogreon was clearly a fairly important official, though how important, Van wasn't quite sure. Were any of the things on this ship common? Was this standard procedure? Van wasn't sure.
In the very least, he was thankful. Had Ogreon been an official from the Federation Van knew, he would have been more carefully handled. Perhaps arrested or, if not, just carefully monitored and restricted. But, then again, diplomats weren't very common where he was from, and he wasn't so sure how a diplomat would handle the situation. Things were too... dangerous where he was from. If there were diplomats, they were behind the armed guards. But Van's targets usually weren't diplomats, so how could he know how many there were, anyway?
Van stared down at his cut-up pants, and sighed, "Hunh. Guess I ought to go to that Replicator thing and get myself a new pair of pants."
He grinned, knowing exactly what that would involve, "Mm, chaa! And, Ewa would be there. Guess she could tell me how those things work, nn?"
Pleased with the thought, Van hopped off, and headed in the direction Ogreon had earlier directed Ewa.
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Ogreon, not familiar with all human ways, stated, "I could probably explain it to you with equal efficientcy, and more fluidity if you prefer."
He slowly begins following Van.
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Van blinks, noticing Ogreon, "Nichaa, you too? What, I can't imagine you liking her like- or what?"
He grins at Ogreon, "Let me guess. It isn't that your jealous, more you want to protect her, chaa? No worries! I'm just getting a new pair of pants."
Mmm, but if he's interested too... Eh, but she doesn't look like his type. And him? Not her type either, I'll bet.
So what am I?! The go between for the world's most awkward relationship?! Eh, no way; that's not happening!
Then Van stopped suddenly, and spoke again. Except this time, his strong native accent had vanished, "Look, I've not been around a girl in a while, and I don't mean myself. You got that?"
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Ogreon stood paralyzed.
"Like her? But she's human...and I just met her. I was simply asking if you'd rather have me explain it to you. Ogreon was completely flabbergasted.
"Are you really insinuating that I enviously wanted to be around her? Or am I mistaken...?"
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Van laughed, the strange tension between the two eased.
"Noh warries," he said, regaining his vaguely grating accent, "Just testing you, chaa."
Van started again down the hall, "I mean, she's hot! I figure, if she had gotten your attention too... Mmm, rilik-chaa. That's a whole new level of hot, yeanh?"
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((Oops, I'm so sorry guys! I didn't see your posts right after the RAFpocalypse! We can go from THERE if you want, but we'd have to delete these posts. I think it would be better that way. You decide.))
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((I think this mostly works where we've got it now))
Ewa pulled up short just outside of the med bay when she heard her name and continued eavesdropping with increasing pleasure. This is how everything here should be: social and political problems and dramas. This makes sense.
Smiling, she leaned on the wall next to the door and began concentrating on her new appearance. Color began to bloom in her skin and lips--just light brushes of pinks and tans. Her hair slowly lengthened to just past her shoulders and began to darken. It would take a few minutes yet, but she'd decided on a brown with slight dark red highlights. Not striking at first glance--she wasn't part of the main plot point, she was sure--but still nice enough.
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Van approached the doorway, and called out, "Ewa!"
Then, he bumped into her, and yelped. She's here already?!
"Hey, Ewa! Warn me before you decide to get so close, mmm?" He backed up a bit, and grinned, his voice softening into a gentler tone "Wooo... The replicate-nyah can do dye jobs, too?! Nice hair! Huh, maybe I should go fix my pants and then try a full tricolor hair-job, chaa."
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Ogreon shook his head, "No, but it can create coloring devices. A popular human one is lipstick. But I suppose you know that. If you want a hair job, your could replicate a Pigment Prism. It's really a simple tool.
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Ewa ran her eyes methodically over Van's figure, lingering a bit on his hair. She wasn't smiling, precisely, but her eyes crinkled in a way that suggested she was going through some effort to hide a half-smile/smirk.
"Pants first, definitely. And I think your hair would benefit more from washing than from dye. It's hard to tell for sure right now though."
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Van gestured at his dirty pants, one pant leg missing after he had hastily cut it off earlier, and laughed, "Ah, so this one-torn leg look not appealing-ah?"
He nodded, bemused by her expression. Mm, the charm's working. Looks like I haven't missed a beat since the crash- maybe she misses my injury? Naaah, she's right; the hair needs washing.
Van pulled at the thick red wraps of fabric tying his hair, and ran his fingers over them. His hair was parted into three sections, with thick wraps keeping them neatly apart. It was a typical hairstyle where he was from, one a man would wear. It always amused him whenever people commented on how feminine his hair looked- perhaps because his hair was worn long.
Two long strands, wrapped as thick as power-cords, hung by his ears. One was longer than the the other, and Van has been told the asymmetry was "charming" once.
But, after hearing Ewa's comment about his hair, Van was now quickly and readily untying the wraps. Long red ribbons fell at his feet, as he tried brushing through his loose, unkempt hair. The transition from blond to purple tips was now very noticeable and striking, though his hair was also striking in its messiness.
"These replicator-nyahzi... Why not I make myself the pants, and then get clean? Ah, but, how do you use them?"
Van blinked at Ewa, and then over at Ogreon, hoping one could provide him an answer. It appeared easy, considering how quickly Ewa was able to completely change her appearance and clothing...
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"You simply tell the computer what to replicate. Follow me.", Ogreon said.
Once in one of the self-care units, he spoke, "Computer, replicate fur coat, long, dark red. Add furless patch, with Astrofleet Diplomat insignia."
The computer trilled, and it's smooth feminine voice informed Ogreon of a problem, "Astrofleet Diplomat insignia requires command authorization clearance 5 up."
"Authorization code, Beta-Chi-8-J.", Ogreon verified.
The computer trilled again, "Authorization verified."
The terminal hummed, and the blue energy rippled. A clangst fur-coat appeared, folded. A small ovalish patch without fur contained the rank insignia for Diplomat rank. Ogreon held it up to show Van, and then put it on.
Taking it off, he said, "Now you try. You can ask the computer to show you a holographic representation of what you want so you can get it precisely right, if you wish."
-
"Ha, I see..." Van mused.
He walked up to the computer, and nodded. "Hmm... slightly longer pants, maybe in a dark red... Yeanh. I know!"
The pirate looked up, and spoke, "Computer, replicate long pants, dark red with a black stripe down the outside of the leg seam. Made of heavy Gramidian cloth, like this."
Van paused, and placed a scrap from his own pants down on the computer. He hoped they at least would come in a proper size, since pants for Human males were tight on his waist and hips, but he didn't want to embarrass himself by specifically ordering women's trousers, either.
He glanced back at Ogreon, and then back towards the terminal. The computer hummed and spoke, "Unknown humanoid species detected. Would you like to be scanned for accurate replication?"
Van nodded, "Yes, Computer, perform a scan."
The computer scanned Van up and down, and then shortly after the scan, the rippling energy produced a new pair of pants.
Van grinned picking up the pants, "Heheh! The replicator-nyah works perfectly, chaa. I guess now, for my hair..."
-
Ogreon signaled Van quickly, "One moment please."
He took off the coat and folded it up to fit back in the terminal. The coat rippled and glowed, and then vanished. The ship reabsorbed the energy and was ready for the next command.
Ogreon gestured again, "By all means, go ahead and finish."
-
"Could the replicator absorb the intrinsic energy of any item? Even if it did not originally come from the replicator?"
Ewa was wondering how such luxurious technologies were being fabricated... or who had the money and pull to actually employ them if everything was as real as it seemed...
-
Ogreon pondered for a moment. Then he replied, "Im not certain as to what exactly you mean by "intrinsic" energy. Have you heard of matter/energy conversion? That's what the Replicator is; a technological personification of the mastery of matter/energy conversion. Every bit of the item is turned into energy. So I guess the answer to your question is yes."
Ogreon nodded and watched Van to see what he would do next.
-
"Matter to energy conversion," Van mused, "So, I'm going to have to go the old-fashioned route if I want to clean up the hair?"
He glanced at Ogreon, then back at the replicator. He shrugged, "Nichaa, to be honest, I can take care of that back on my ship. Let's beam back down before we waste anymore time."
He glanced at Ewa, and sensed her eagerness to get off. Honestly, he felt in agreement with her; this ship was just a bit over his head, too. Matter to energy conversions, again, was a topic only truly understood by the Thyllians. Van hoped he wouldn't see one around here, though he was sure chances were high that they simply didn't exist.
It was weird. He wasn't anywhere near home. Perhaps a different galaxy? Maybe. He wasn't quite sure. Either way, repairing the Palkoris' Gravitic Warp functions was now top priority. That, and Van needed to check on his cargo....
-
Ogreon smiled, "I'm glad I was able to help. If you need help with repairing your ship, I can call my engineers down at any time."
He turned to face the middle distance, "Computer, three for sit-to-site transport. Beam us down to the establishment on the meteorite below."
The computer trilled, and a second later a hum started. They all glowed red, and then disappeared.
((Nice playing with ya. Ogreon may hang around you for a while in the bar.))
-
Two red shapes appear in the Urtahn's sickbay. One is human, the other is Clangst. The red glows fade to be replaced by their respective species.
Ogreon spoke up, "Aides, help me lift this man onto the critical care unit."
Right away, a human and a Flurat walked over and helped Ogreon heft the man onto the table.
"What happened here?", the Flurat's chip translated the light-flashes it produced.
"I'm nt sure. He just came to the bar, and asked for medical assistance...I think."
The fllurat nodded and went his way. The human, Lieutenant Catie Anderson, stayed behind to help Ogreon and Vallav...
-
The injured man and the strange creature disappeared from the bar and appeared in another place. If he had been conscious he would have thought it some form of magic. However the fact that he was unconscious did not prevent his brain from processing some information.
There is debate on wether or not the human brain can hear and understand and process information while the human is unconscious. Some people claim they have and others say they have not. Doctors both believe and disbelieve the theory, but have agreed that it's possible and say 'It depends on the person'
This human could hear and process the information, however some of what was said was foreign. What is a critical care unit? his brain wondered. It sounded like they were going to give him medical assistance though and that put his mind at ease.
-
Vallav ran over, "Not again! That fungus colony in the other room is still festering! It needs my attention! What now!?"
Ogreon dismissed Vallav's annoying banter, "This man just came into the bar with all these scars and things. Nobody knows him or what happened."
"I see...that is serious. Very serious. In fact..."
Ogreon interrupted him, "Doctor! Just get your medkit!!!"
Vallav , indignantly, huffed and ran off to his office rather comically. Catie laughed quietly.
Ogreon smiled at her, "I don't know why I hired him. I should've gotten a Parisae nurse or something, someone seasoned and polite."
Catie shrugged, "I don't know. It's kind of funny."
Ogreon nodded, "I appreciate that you can work with him this long and not be annoyed by him that much. Good for you...I on the other hand...", he left it at that.
Catie just laughed again, "Maybe you hang around him just enough to hate him."
Ogreon nodded with a smile, but was silent as Vallav came back, "Ok, what's wrong with this one?", Vallav asked.
Ogreon sighed, "Not sure. Why don't you use a s.e.n.s.o.r.?"
Vallav's eyes went wide, "Of course!", he grabbed a s.e.n.s.o.r. off a close shelf and began scanning the man. He turned it off, "This is serious."
Ogreon, "I knew that, Doctor. I can smell his blood. It's revolting. He's bleeding internally."
Vallav nodded, "I'll get right to work."
He pulled out a tissue regenerator and a epidermal x-ray device...
-
Although the human was still unconscious his brain continued to absorb information. He heard someone yelling at a doctor and then someone or something running. He then heard a female voice and what sounded like the creature that had brought him here talking to each other. He heard a new voice and from what they were saying this new voice was the doctor. The doctor seemed to think his condition was serious.
His thinking at this point became erratic. He seemed to be reliving the nightmares again, but these nightmares had actually happened to him. The countless battles, the deaths of enemy and comrade played over and over. "So sorry" he mumbled barely audible as a whisper. "He'll die." he again mumbled barely audible. "Baal" he mumbled a final time before falling silent.
-
Ogreon, Vallav and Anderson looked at each other.
Ogreon spoke hesitantly, "You just heard him say something, right?"
Catie nodded, "Yep. I know I did."
Vallav, "I distinctly heard it. He said, 'So sorry, he'll die. Baal.'"
Ogreon looked to them both, "What could that mean?"
Vallav shrugged, "I couldn't care less. I have a fungus colony growing in the back room. I'll patch up his arteries, and fix his skin, and then I'm done. Im only doing minor injuries today, Captain, and --"
"Jella!? Patient, Doctor, the Patient! Just get it done, you standing there talking isnt helping any!"
Vallav once again put an indignant face on and got to work fixing the man's internal bleeding. He used an arterial cellular regenerator to stimulate, even if unnatural, the regeneration of cells to fix up and artery that was bleeding. But there were 4 arteries bleeding internally...Vallav knew these were the most important injuries on the man, and so did them first. Within 2 minutes his arteries were all patched up, and Vallav began to work on his skin.
Ogreon retrieved a hypospray of expergesene to wake up the man. He injected the expergesene in through his neck. If he was a normal humanoid it would take only a few seconds to kick in.
-
The human woke up slowly. At first he didn't understand what was going on. He was no longer in the building he had walked to when he first came through the portal. He began looking around and saw another human female. He also saw the creature that he had seen at the building. The last creature reminded him of the river beasts from Kurast.
He sat up and looked around and realized this place was very different than what he was used to. It was a large dome roofed room with beds several beds. Although he was afraid he did not show any fear this time. He took a deep breath and turned towards the female, feeling more at ease talking to a human. "Where am I? Who are you and what are these creatures?"
He feels his torso and notices it is healed with no scars. He can also tell that his internal injuries have been healed as well. "What magic did you use to heal me?" He asks the female.
-
Catie's eyes went wide and she looked at Ogreon helplessly.
"Um...well...My name is Catie Anderson. This is Ogreon and this is Vallav. I didn't heal you, and Vallav didn't use magic to heal you. We used technology call an arterial...um, well we just used technology to heal you. Magic isn't real. But uh...he healed you."
She pointed to Vallav and Vallav waved curtly, "Greetings! Your injuries were severe, and my captain told me to fix you up, so that's what I did."
-
He was very confused by what Catie was saying. He desperately needed answers and he needed them now. "What is this 'technology' you speak of? What do you mean magic isn't real? How else do you explain there being no trace of my injuries?"
As he asked the questions in a rapid-fire pace, he became very agitated and began to hyperventilate again. He grabbed his head as the room swirled around him. Magic isn't real Catie's words repeated in his head over and over. "No, no it cant be. Magic has to be real, it HAS to be. You're lying, YOU'RE LYING!" he screamed.
-
Catie cringed slightly and looked to Ogreon.
The little mouth on his long snout opened as he spoke, "Well, actually, our technology allows us to do...magical things, so to speak. Our technology may be very similar to your magic, so maybe magic does exist."
Ogreon, being a diplomat, realized it may not be the right time to challenge everything this man knows; and if he believes in magic, there's bound to be other things of conflict between them. Might as well leave so much alone.
"My name is Ogreon. I am Ambassador Ogreon of the Universal Alliance Starship," three words he regretted as soon as they were out of his mouth, "Urtahn.. This is Doctor Vallav, my Chief Medical Offic - "
"Yes, I am," Vallav interrupted, "And Might I say you are the most ungrateful patient I have ever had."
Ogreon's eyes went wide, "Doctor!"
"Well it's true! Now lie down before you kill yourself! There's still some internal damage I have to fix!"
Catie put her arm on his shoulder, "Please. I promise you won't be harmed."
-
When the desert maggot began speaking he moved away from it in fear. The maggot said that this 'technology' was similar to his magic and that magic did exist. This helped calm him down some. Perhaps the female was not certain what magic really was. He would give her the benefit of the doubt for now.
The desert maggot introduced itself as Ogreon, a strange name for certain. He then introduced the river beast as the doctor, who immediately began yelling at him to lie down before he hurt himself. He thought about resisting at first, but then Catie assured him he would not be harmed.
He looked into Caties eyes and said "I trust you and only you when you say I wont be harmed." He didn't care about the strange creatures, but he did not want them to know everything about him. He leaned over and whispered in Caties ear so only she would hear him "My name is Larry Foulke."
-
Catie nodded and smiled lightly, "Nice to meet you. Now, if you'll let Doctor Vallav take care of you?"
Vallav approached, "Quite right, now let me just...oh, darn. I left m s.e.n.s.o.r. back at my desk. I'll be right back."
Ogreon quickly spoke in a quiet voice to the man, "Look, I'm sorry for Vallav's curt behavior. He's actually two creatures in one which gives him a higher metabolism...well, let's just say he's hyper all the time but that makes him tired all the time. It's true."
Vallav returned with his s.e.n .s.o.r. and hovered it around the man, scanning him, "Ah, I see. One last thing to fix. Your liver was peirced by your ribcage. You have a talent for some of the most impossible injuries."
He walked over to the shelf behind the bed and grabbed another, larger cellular regenerator and an Osseus Reverter.
He first ran the cellular regenerator over his kidney area, it making a fluctuating hum while it sent a booster signal to the body...
-
The river beast doctor, Vallav, said something about a 'sensor' and left. Ogreon attempted to explain about how he was two creatures in one and having a higher metabolism. Strangely now that he was beginning to trust these creatures he was also understanding. The fear and shock he had been feeling was still there, but he had it under control now.
Doctor Vallav returned and hovered a strange object over his body. When the Doctor said that he had a talent for impossible injuries the human actually chuckled. It was not a cheerful chuckle though, it was a chuckle that sent a shiver up most peoples spines. It was a chuckle that indicated what he was about to say was not even remotely funny, but cold and sadistic.
"Yes, Diablo does have a nice talent for making messes out of his hunters." He said in a dark tone.
The dark tone lasted only another minute when he looked again at Catie and asked slowly and calmly "What is this place? Where is the building I first came to? Where are all the other humans and the Elf that I saw?" Although he didn't remember her being there and he was beginning to trust the others, he still preferred talking to a human, even better a female human.
-
Catie looked to Ogreon. He nodded, giving his permission to tell him.
"This is a space ship. It's like a covered ship, with no sea. We travel through the stars. You got here from that building through a...sort of magic we call 'beaming.' It allows someone to travel between two spots directly, and it takes about...3 seconds."
Doctor Vallav switched to the Osseus Regenerator. It made a humming sound as he pressed the trigger. Then Vallav faced him, "It will hurt slightly, but I need you to arch your back. You can deal with the pain, I'm sure, right?"
Catie continued, "The humans and the...elf...are still there. You can go back later."
-
Catie told him of the magic of 'beaming' and it sounded very similar to the portal he was able to make that allowed him to escape from the Chaos Sanctuary. The doctor asked him to arch his back, the human still wasn't sure about trusting him completely without making sure of his loyalties.
He looked first at Vallav then at Ogreon and said in a menacing tone "Do either of you serve the Prime Evil Lords? If you do I will have to destroy you."
He attempted to lean forward to get out of the bed, but the pain made it difficult and he groaned with the effort.
-
As the man groaned Vallav tried to support him, "I told you to arch you back, not get up! Now look! I'm trying to help you! Now -"
"Doctor. Please," Ogreon interrupted, "Let me."
He scooted over to be in front of the man, "I do not even know who these Prime Evil Lords are. I promise you we don't work for them, and we will help you. That is...if you dont try to kill us."
-
When Ogreon said that he didn't know who the Prime Evil Lords were he was shocked. He is lying. How could you live in this world and not... Quite literally his thoughts stopped mid-sentence. That strange energy fluctuation in the portal. When he entered the portal in the Chaos Sanctuary, there had been a slight fluctuation in the energy, almost as if it had taken slightly longer to establish itself.
At the time he didn't take too much notice due to his injuries, but now that he thought about it, it made sense if the portal had been rerouted. Baal. Only he would have the power to do this, but he had to be absolutely certain.
He turned to Catie and asked "What is the name of the land where I appeared at?"
-
Catie, once again was at a loss, "Erm...um, the...the establishment? I think it's called the Galaxy's Edge Space Bar. I don't know what the planet's called, but I'm pretty sure that's the bar."
Ogreon nodded, "Yes. The Galaxy's Edge Space Bar."
Vallav groaned, "Arch your back, please!!!"
-
He decided to do as Vallav asked him to and arched his back. He looked at Catie and said "You really have never heard of the Prime Evil Lords?" He had never heard of the Galaxy's Edge Space Bar before which meant that his assumption about being in a different land was true.
He took a deep breath and said "The Prime Evil Lords are three demons Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred, Diablo, the Lord of Terror, and Baal the Lord of Destruction. These three are brothers that are attempting to end the age of Man in the lands of Sanctuary. Tristram, the Rogue Monastery, Lut Gohlein, Kurast all of these places have suffered in the wake of the Brothers' attacks."
He looked in Caties eyes with his unusual eyes, his right eye a sapphire blue and his left eye an emerald green. "Be thankful that you have never witnessed the suffering they have caused."
-
Catie looked at him again and realized finally that his eyes were two different colors...
"Why do you have two different eyes?", she asked hesitantly.
Vallav spoke up just as he was about to finish with the ribs that he had so wanted to finish(thus his frequent begging to arch back), "Ooh! Fascinating! Is one an implant? Are they both implants!? Do they itch? Are they different sizes? What method was used to insert the extra eye? Whose eye was it originally?"
Ogreon facepalmed, a very human gesture, "Doctor, finish his surgery please so he can be free of your tedious bantering."
Vallav, yet again, indignantly, grudgingly, continued. If Ogreon hadnt been the captain, Vallav probably wouldn't have listened to him.
Vallav pressed the trigger and the nearly invisible energy that had been the rib reentered the body - avoiding the newly regenerated kidney - and materialized into the bone it had been before.
Vallav, still upset sighed out, "There. Now just wait one second..."
Vallav picked up a hypospray and loaded in with doloregicem, then it hissed as the doctor pressed it against his skin and unloaded it.
"That should minimize or rid any pain you feel. All done. Now that I'm not wanted, I'll go back to my Fungus Colony and try to finish with it before I'm rudely interrupted again."
And with that he was carried by his long legs into a back room, as the door opened and closed for him.
Ogreon shook his head and Catie laughed.
-
At first Caties question confused him, but then he remembered his eye color. As he was about to answer Vallav interrupted him and started hounding him with questions. Ogreon told Vallav to hurry up and the doctor finished, then stuck something in his arm that relieved the pain.
When the doctor left he even had to chuckle. Unlike earlier this chuckle was full of humor and lighthearted. He turned to look at Catie and said "I was born this way, it's something that every few decades a Druid will inherit. According to Druid lore 'He who possess eyes the color of water and plant, possess great insight and knowledge' Since I possessed 'Natures' eyes', as they are called, my tribe felt that I was worthy to face the Brothers."
Larry took a long look around the building he was in. "Perhaps it is that insight and knowledge that allows me to accept this place better" However in his mind a thought was constantly repeating itself What if I am never able to return to my home
He looked back at Catie and smiled slightly "Will you please accompany back to the 'Bar' as you call it?" He asked in a friendly, if somewhat flirty, tone of voice.
-
Catie was surprised at first about this question.But then she smiled, slightly embarrassed, for him and for her.
"I'm...sorry. I have to stay here. I have duties to attend to. I'm one of the doctor's aides and I take care of minor injuries. I'm actually in the middle of some research on the biological capacities of the Ilia Kree...I'm studying another species. Their new. It's...kind of necessary."
She smiled sadly again, "But really, I wouldn't trade this life for any other. If I progress I might even get my own ship! I'm sorry...I can't leave."
-
Larry lowered is head sightly in disappointment. "Very well I understand." He looked back up at her "How will I be returned to the land?" he asked.
-
Ogreon spoke up again, "Same way you got here, and the same way Catie will go too."
Catie looked at him, "Huh?"
Ogreon chuckled, "Unless of course, you don't want to go. Listen Lieutenant, this is a government ship, correct? I have news that our technologies need updatng already. And if I lose an officer, there's always one there ready to replace them. I'm sure ou could accomplish good here; but I'm sure you'd enjoy it there."
Catie smiled enthusiastically, "You mean it!?"
Ogreon was about to reply when an Aide came over to him and handed him a display device. He looked it over quickly, and with a short gasp he turned to Larry.
"Try not to let her get herself killed. Tell Van and Ewa - if you see them - that I enjoyed their company. But a very urgent matter has come up within the Alliance; galaxy-shattering news. Be sure to tell them I didn't want to leave. But I absolutely had to, there was no choice."
Ge backed up slightly and looked at both of them, "I wish you many exciting adventures. Catie knows how to get to the bar."
Ogreon smiled and walked out of the room, headed for the bridge.
Catie turned to Larry, "You ready?"
-
Larry looked into Caties blue eyes and said "Yes I am ready to return to the land" Larry stood up, dwarfing Catie by at least six inches. He looked down at her and asked "Will it cause you or I any pain to 'beam'?"
-
She smiled, "No, not at all. Actually you don feel anything. Your molecular data is converted into a...um, you don't feel anything."((You literally denolecularize and the computer rematerializes you at the other end. So you wouldn't sense anything until at the end when you see the red glow fade around you and hear the humming fade.))
She stood next to him and stood tall as she could, only because she was excited, "Computer. Two for site to site transport to the establishment on the planet below."
The computer trilled. A hum started up as they glowed red. The glow faded after a while to be replaced with a small glowing area where their vital organs had been, then that too faded to be replaced by empty space.
On the bridge, a beep signaled to Ogreon that Catie and Larry had beamed off. He smiled.
"Conn, take us out. Pulsce speed 6. Let's go home. Engage."
The ovalish ship with triangular engines on the sides turned away from the asteroid. The holes in the engines glowed as it charged, then...PPHHHOOOOOOU! It flew at many times the speed of light back to its own universe...
-
Catie assured him that there would be no harm to either of them and that alleviated his worries. She stood next to him and spoke to someone called 'Computer' and asked for transport to the establishment.
All of a sudden their bodies began to glow red. He glanced at Catie, but she did not seem concerned so he remained still. In a few seconds there was no more trace of him or Catie.