Galaxy's Edge Space Bar (archive)

[Myitt]

Corliss frowns, watching Mike paw at his neck.  "What collar, mate?"  He stands up, reaching into his uniform pocket and clicking a little black cube with his thumb and forefinger.  "Is someone tracking you?  How do you know about the Yeerk Empire?" Another translucent green holoscreen materializes in front of his head, and he taps at thin air, sliding icons around.  Eventually the screen settles on what looks like a diagnostic scan of Mike's body, physiological and technological.

<Steady on, Cor,> said his host.  <The little bleeder's in rough shape, if he's being tracked it isn't going to matter much now.>

<If he's tracked by the Empire or some half-arsed bounty hunter then it is going to matter.  It's going to matter quite a lot, actually.>  Corliss gazes at the readouts, impatient.

[applix]

Mike's collar seemed dead, the ring of metal and what appeared to be leather or plastic sat wrapped around his neck. The thing lay over his morphing suit's neck so it wasn't a surprise Corliss didn't see it at first, black on black. Seen under the scan the thing would be hosting a small power supply, although given the technology it seemed more powerful than a small grenade. Physiologically Mike was in bad shape but he'd appear normal for a human, no strange signs or abnormalities. He was bruised and a broken rib went along with the list of minor injuries, none which would keep him from moving about when he finally got enough water and food in him.

"Empire?" He said, feeling dizzy for a moment before he looked back up to Corliss. "Tried to get a worm in my ear," He said with a disgusted tone, his head still spinning.

Mike wanted badly to tug at the collar, but he restrained himself, knowing full well if enough movement was detected what would happen.

[Myitt]

"Yeah, that's how most of you blokes find out about us," Corliss says idly, tapping at the screen.  "Drink some more of that water.  And can you tell me why you're here?  Perhaps more importantly, how do we get that thing off your neck?  It looks like it's triggered by excessive movement."  He bites his lip, looking at Ossanlin.  "Looks like dehydration, mostly.  At least one broken rib and some minor lacerations..."  He taps at some of the scrolling Yeerkish text, floating next to the diagram of Mike's body, like a 3-D MRI.  "Probably could use some food, too."  He digs in his pocket and pulls out a Yorkie chocolate bar, which for some inexplicable reason says 'Not For Girls'.  It's raisin and biscuit flavored, and a bit melted.  "This is all I've got, mate, sorry."  He hands Mike the candy.

[applix]

Mike seemed oblivious to much of what Corliss was saying, the hand that had been moving to his neck now rested on his forehead. He elbowed the stretcher with his other arm and tilted his torso up so he could reach the thermos with his mouth again. He pressed the cup to his lips and drank the rest of the water there, letting it drip into his empty stomach. While he couldn't see the chocolate bar, when his hand slapped at it and grabbed for it, he instantly knew what it was. Without thinking of the immediate reciprocation of eating it he stuffed it into his mouth and downed it like a wild animal.

"I don't know how," he responded after finishing the bar, having heard the question about his collar. He looked down for a moment as he began to sit up straight in the stretcher, moving clumsily but he eventually got it. Blood rushed to his head and he looked weary before he swayed back and forth. He caught himself but it was a close one. His hand picked at dirt that had caked in his hair, his eyes blinking and looking at nothing because he couldn't see much anyhow.

[Myitt]

"Who's the kid, Corliss?" Myitt calls from across the bar. 

"Name's Mike," Corliss says with a little grin.  "He'll be alright, just really badly dehydrated.  What is it with this place attracting the walking dead, eh?"  He looks back at Mike.  "Whoa, take it easy.  All that sugar's gonna go to your 'ead.  We'll see if we can get that thing off yeh."  He scrunches his eyebrows.  "And maybe a bath, eh?"

"Don't let him take a bath in here," Myitt intones, overhearing them.  "Tub's worse than the mattresses."

[applix]

Mike did as he was told for now, pressing his hands to the stretcher to balance himself as he sat still. His head tilted downwards, feeling the collar at his neck.

"Just get it off... please..." He said softly, his mind swimming in memories of his capture and death around him. The shadow seemed to be hovering over him and when Myitt spoke he felt a chill. He closed his eyes and knew in that instant what had been said to him. Before now it had just been a jumbled mess or unclear, but now he knew what was to be done.

[Myitt]

"Yeah?  And what if I try to remove it, and the thing detonates?" Corliss shakes his head.  "No way, man.  I need to know what it is first."  He turns back to his readouts, eyes narrowing.

[applix]

Mike looked up at Corliss and watched as the man's features seeped into the image. He was beginning to see key signs that his sight was returning. In this mix of joy and sullen defeat he kept his blue eyes locked onto him and spoke, sounding healthier by the minute.

"It senses changes in the thickness of my neck I believe. If I..." He hesitated and then quickly spoke, "Were to tug at it I suppose it would do whatever it was meant to do."

[Myitt]

"And you don't know what it does.  Neither does this thing.  Forsaken dapsen piece of junk...all it says is it's explosive, and I don't want to touch something that's gonna blow us all to kingdom come, ya ken?"  He taps at the floating screen irritably.

"Oh, but that's so much fun," Myitt says darkly, slowly spinning her chair back around and facing the bar counter, her back to them.

[applix]

Mike nodded as he spoke, "Yeah, I ken." It sounded sort of amusing especially since he'd never heard or used that word before.

The human in the skintight suit looked around, beginning to see others around him. His foggy eyes locked onto Myitt as she spoke and stayed there. "Can't you just turn it off or something?" He asked softly, in a trance.

[Myitt]

Corliss hesitantly follows Mike's gaze toward his sister.  His eyes dart back to Mike.  "Urh...no?  Not unless you know how.  Hmm...all this diagram says is it's explosive.  And there's a power source, probably the explosive bit.  Maybe there's a button on there that'll turn it off, but if it were that easy, why haven't you already got the bloody thing off of you?"

Myitt waves a little at Mike, then snaps her fingers.  "Hey.  Buddy.  Eyes up here."  She points at her eyes.

[applix]

Mike didn't know where the hell on her body he was looking at, but even when she snapped her fingers he seemed to just stare off into space in her general direction. He could almost see an outline around her and began to wonder why it didn't form the shape of a cross or look something like a sniper scope. He felt his stomach churn, noises coming from it as he held his stomach. "They put it on with some sort of glowing thing, I don't know what it was but the Skirt Na are the ones to did it."

Mike felt his head begin to pound and felt as if there were two voices in his head. If he had been completely recovered at the moment he probably would have thought he had a Yeerk in his head, but in his shoddy state he felt dazed and only nodded at the dark voice in his head.

[Myitt]

"Bloody Skrit Na," Corliss mutters.  "It could've been anything, the sort of junk they lug around.  I can't tell if it's Yeerkish, I've never seen anything quite like it.  It's not living metal and it's not endothermic like the bleeding handcuffs...hmm...d amn.  Do you mind?"  He reaches down and taps gently at the collar, wincing.

<Careful, mate, you don't want to set the thing off...>

<Shh...>

[applix]

Mike seemed to be in a state of paralysis and let the man do whatever he wanted. But as soon as the collar was touched hard enough it seemed like the boy had been hit by a concrete wall. He jolted backwards onto the gurney and then fell off onto the floor. He let out a sharp yelp before the convulsing that had begun only a moment before suddenly ceased. He moaned and then slowly pulled himself up, pressing against his neck and the collar. But he suddenly remembered it was there and he pulled his hand away and shook it out, frightened.

"It shocks you, or at least that's what it feels like." He said, stuttering for a moment before he leaned up against the gurney with heavy breaths. He seemed to be alright, "I think it deactivates for a short amount of time after it goes up, like it has to recharge or something."

[Myitt]

The gurney tilts, hovering, as Mike clings onto it.  Corliss helps him to a nearby chair.  "Christ, mate, I'm sorry.  That explains the power charge."  He rubs the back of his neck in dismay.  "Now how to get it off yer..."  He turns his attention to the hovering holoscreen once again, flipping through its holographic screens.