[color=#009900]Pryce Research N101
Docked at Porto Novo Installation (Atlantis class station)
Omega 50, Edge Worlds
Nathan Wells peered out the front viewport as the shape drifted towards them. As the vessel got closer, his eyes grew wider.
The Spatial was missing two of its' engines. The upper portion of the dorsal fin had been sheared off, roughly, only just missing the passenger compartment. There were faint laser burns along the length of the hull, and several pieces of the outer plating showed signs of hasty replacement, being unpainted, and unevenly joined with the rest of the hull.
The Spatial docked directly with the N101, instead of the station. Wells left the bridge and started down to the airlock. There was an urgency in his step, his boots clanking sharply and quickly on the alloy plating of the deck.He reminded himself to talk to the Director about a stronger and larger medical staff on the Pryce ships.
He reached the airlock level just as one of his crew was opening the airlock hatch. A strong odor of burnt electronics and stale air wafted into the ship, its bitterness making his eyes water, before the transports air processors began to compensate.
Shannon O'Daily stepped out of the airlock and into the Transport. There were dark circles under her eyes, which were now closed. She stood for a moment, wavering slightly as she took a slow, deep breath of the Transports crisp fresh air. Her once full, bright auburn hair was short now, with a flat dullness so apparent that made Wells stare in shock.Spots of dark soot covered her face, and mixed with the sweat that stained the coveralls she wore. She opened her eyes slowly, glancing at Wells unevenly.She seemed to be trying to decide if he was actually standing there, and not a fitment of her own mind.
"He'lo Nathan." She said weakly. " 'Is a fine thing to be seeing you in this place.Can ya' help us with Re'ne? She's in the lab space."
Wells nodded and bid Shannon to stay put as he motioned the Pryce crewman to follow him through the air lock. He immediately regretted not taking a respirator with him. It seemed as though a thin haze of smoke permeated the ships interior. As he worked his way towards the small science bay ahead, he passed countless open access panels, a silent testament to the hundreds of hours Shannon had labored to keep the Spatial flying, bypassing and rerouting ship functons when she hadn't been able to repair them.
He reached the science lab and found Rene Altura sitting quietly in a chair facing the lab table. Wells was speechless, trying, and failing, to hide his horror as he tried to match the broken form in the chair with the memory of the graceful, elegant woman he'd known before. Altura had lost a great deal of weight, the bones of her shoulders sharply defined through the seemingly too-large lab coat, her legs and hips very thin, sticklike. Her once smooth white skin, was now the faintest shade of grey that made Nathans stomach turn. Her hair had thinned considerably, leaving her scalp visable in spots.The left side of her face and neck was covered by faint burn scars. She looked up slowly at Wells and seemed about to say something, smiling softly instead.
Doctor Pryce was sitting across the table from Rene, just closing a small metal case. His normally close cropped beard had grown longer, and seemed to be more white than the grey he had left with.He too, was thinner than Wells remembered, though it was more subtle than Alturas' drastic loss.
Wells noticed the lab did not have any other exit and he realized he'd reached the farthest interior space of the ship. "Where's the other two?" , referring to the two members of the Spatials' crew not present.
Altura took a deep breath. Or she tried to. What's wrong with me? She thought to herself.
Since the Kerimov she had been poked, scanned, and prodded , by Wesley, and by the Coalition medical branch; To no real effect. No one could find anything wrong with her. Nothing at all.
It unsettled her how people treated her now.The various Pryce crew avoided her; avoiding her eyes, finding reasons to leave the room.As if she was possessed. Maybe I am. The Coalition had cleared her of any infection related to the research, and having done so, lost interest in figuring out what had caused her rapid deterioration. Shannon had quietly told her to be thankful that was all the Coalition was going to do.There were rumors that they tended to disappear persons who had ceased to be useful, though generally less so with scientific personnel. Still.
Nathan Wells had put Rene, Wesley, and Shannon, on the Border Worlds Transport, while keeping the damaged Spatial in tow. Destination, the Pryce Institute, Planet Los Angeles.
[color=#33CC00]The Pryce Institute
Technology Research Lab
City of Whilshire, Planet Los Angeles, California System.
Allie sat on the stool next to the lab table. She was so grateful for the way these people had taken her in, the way they'd taken care of her and the others, and helped them on their way back to a normal life. Getting her off the drugs, and even seeing to continuing her education. She was so thankful for their help.
She was also incredibly bored.
There was nothing to do here. All these eggheads were so engrossed in their studies and research, they were letting life pass them by.
Ugh
Leaving the science materials she was supposed to be studying, she swiveled, then slid off the stool, letting her feet drop gently to the floor.
She quietly walked past several scientists working at their stations, out of the lab, turned left, and followed the hallway down. She reached the lift, and waited as it reached the floor.The doors slid open. A man in a lab coat stood in the lift. She'd seen him around, though she didn't know his name.
"Good afternoon young miss." He said pleasantly. "Coming along in your studies?"
"Uh, yeah, sure." She replied.
"Very good then." He smiled, and left the lift, heading towards the Botany Lab.
Allie let out a breath. She stepped into the lift, sending it to the floor above. She exited, and walked down the next hallway. The Institute hadn't been designed with living quarters in mind, but when it had been decided that living arrangements would be needed for their guests, several empty office spaces had been rather nicely converted to the purpose. Allie reached the door she was looking for, and keyed the chime.
Then again.
Christina opened the hatch. She looked a little worn out, having spent most of her day in an engineering class. She smiled anyway. "Hey 'sis." She said. They weren't actually sisters, though they often called each other so. "They let you out already huh?"
Allie smiled back. "Not exactly." She glanced back down the hall, before adding; "Let's get out of here.It's time for some fun."
Christina threw her head to the side playfully, any trace of wearyness having disappeared. "Yeah! Where we goin' 'sis?"
Allie raised her eyebrow."Somewhere that's not here."
Christina frowned. "What to wear?" They didn't have much. They'd left their captivity with nothing but the dresses they were wearing, which their hosts had gotten rid of; and replaced with either drab "professional" attire, or several copies of the girly, flowery nonsense hanging in their closets.
Ugh
"We'll go shopping first." Allie answered. "Come on. Let's get the others."
After a few close calls, they'd finally got Candice, Vanessa, and Rose from around the building. They made for the side entrance, to the adjoining parking garage for the Institute staff. So far, their escape was undetected.
They entered the first level of the garage. Lines of vehicles, most of them hovercars, stretched down the length of the otherwise empty space.
"How are we going to get one?" Most of the cars, like any other modern vehicle, had either verbal or biometric security systems. They wouldn't simply be able to hop inside and take off.
Rose spoke, as she drew a small device from her purse; "Look what I made." She grinned.
"Alright!" Allie exclaimed. "Now let's find a ride." They began to walk down the line of cars. The results were not encouraging. "Eww. Look at this one." Vanessa said, pointing at an angular, beige vehicle.
"Not any worse than that one." Allie said, indicating the ancient green conveyance sitting in the next space.
"These people are so....boring." She continued.
Candice, walking at the rear of the group, finally spoke up; "You guys, maybe we should try something else."
She was getting the feeling that this night might not be such a good idea.
"Yes!" Rose said loudly. "This is it girls!" They'd come upon a sleek, shiny, black hovercar, its finish gleaming in the light of the garage. It was a beautiful car, as well suited to luxury as it was for racing. It must have cost hundreds of thousands of credits, if not more.
Vanessa turned to Rose and spoke; "Do you think your toy will work on that?"
"Sure." Rose said, although she looked doubtful. She pointed the device at the car, and pressed a button.
A line of lights began to flicker on the device, each one staying on as each of the steps to hack the car were completed. Allie didn't have a clue as to how it worked, only that it more or less bypassed the owner settings in the security system, replacing it with pretailored data, making the system think it was letting the proper owner in. A moment passed, and the door slid open.
"Yeah!" Vanessa shouted, before covering her mouth and glancing around quickly.
Allie took the drivers seat, Rose beside her, others in the rear. The door slid shut.
The car engines started, and it's nav computer went online. The computers voice welcomed them.
"Greetings, Doctor Pryce, where would you like to go today?"
Candice stared out the window, as buildings whipped past so fast she couldn't tell one from the other. It was starting to get dark, the lights of the city beginnng to come on. She leaned forward a little. "Where are we?" she asked.
The music system of the car was at full volume.
She leaned further, and repeated the question, almost shouting it at the driver. Allie still didn't hear , her head bobbing to the music. Candice slumped back into the seat.
A few minutes later, the engines became softer, as the vehicle slowed, and filtered out of the main traffic lane. It entered another garage, a few more meters, then came to a stop.
Allie shut down the engines, and thankfully, the music. Candice noted her ears were ringing.
"Where are we?" She said again, more softly this time.
Allie turned around in the seat, her eyes wide and full of excitement; "We're going shopping!"
Candice glanced uncomfortably at Vanessa, sitting beside her. "I really don't have many cred..."
"Never mind that." Allie interrupted. "I get a great discount here." She smiled, and Candice felt even more uncomfortable. Allie continued; "Stay here with the car, I'll pick something up for you. Start the engines when you see us coming, okay?"
The car emptied, and Candice moved into the drivers seat. She watched as the girls followed other shoppers into the main building.
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