Dare to Dream discussion
Miscellaneous
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End of the world
*I slide the salt shaker to you* Try it out on our friend in the lab.
I will...plus other chemical salts. If it works we'll have to let it settle and wear respirators when we go in but it's an idea.
*I smile* I hope that it works. Let me know if it does...*I continue to eat, my head down a little, my face pale*
* Mike proceeds to the lab.*
*I finish eating an hour later and with Tor's help we walk back to the sick bay. I sit down next to Riddick's bed and gently take his hand to wait until he wakes up*
* Hours pass...then more hours and Mike still hasn't left the lab. Meal times...sleep periods come and go but he stays closeted in the lab. *
*Tor and I sleep in the sick bay with Riddick, eating when we're hungry. I get up and tell Tor to stay with Riddick. I go to the lab and knock gently on the door so as to not startle you* Mike? Are you okay in there? It's been three days now and you haven't come out once!
* The door slides open and Mike stands on the other side...sweaty and a bit disheveled as he's in the same clothes he had on something like 36 to 48 hours ago. There are discarded coffee and tea cups overflowing the recycler where they've obviously been thrown but not recycled. Mike holds a stoppered beaker in his left hand and nods...tiredly,*I think we have it. The ship will have to be hooked up to a tank over here manually and the entire ship....well saturated with this. We'll then have to..* Mike looks a little trepidatious* Then we'll open the ship to vacuum, blow out the powder as it would attack us to, along with the dead creatures. Then we repressurize the ship and save the colony.
But first I think I need a nap and maybe something to eat...and maybe an antacid. I seem to have over done the coffee and tea.
*I look at you worriedly, take the beaker and set it down on the table just inside the door. I then gently take your hand in mine and lead you down to your room. I lead you into your room, sit you down then enter the bathroom. You hear running water and smell sweet relaxing lavender slip out of the bathroom. After a few minutes, I reemerge, take your hand again and lead you into the bathroom where a warm bubble bath is waiting.* Get in...I'll bring you some food. *Without waiting, I leave the bathroom to go and retrieve you something to eat*
* When Lacy gets back Mike is out of the bath and wearing loose fitting pants and a tee-shirt...asleep in a chair with one shoe on and one halfway on.*
*I smile as I set the plate down on the table and gently removes the second shoe. I gently touch your shoulder to wake you then help you walk to your bed. I help you climb under the sheets and tuck you in.* Your food is on the nightstand next to your bed if you want to eat. If not, it'll keep. Get some rest, Mike. You deserve it with all of the hard work you've done. *I smile down at you, lean down and gently kiss your cheek*
* Mike sleeps several hours....two cats and a dog join him on the bed and the larger dog sleeps beside the bed...Mike finally wakes...dresses in his jeans, shirt, boots...and weapons. He heads out to the galley, thanks Lacy for leaving the food. He then gets himself a steak, 2 eggs, potatoes and iced tea. *[night. I should be around regular hours for a while now. No meetings till next week. LOL]
*I had returned to sick bay and was sitting next to Riddick who finally woke up after several hours of slipping in and out of sleep. I am holding his hand, talking low to m, his face angry and hurt since he remembered what had happened. I smiled reassuringly at him that everything was okay and I was okay. I slip into the bed next to him and lay my head against his chest. He gently strokes my hair, slowly coming out of his anger as he holds me tight.*(Night! Yay no more meetings...I get my friend back lol)
* Later Lacy and Riddick find Mike well into rigging a large tank on the outside of the ship with a long hose or flexible pipe on it. The Ranger is maneuvering the two ships close together again. Mike is on the outside hull of the ship in a vacuum suit waiting to attach the pipe to hull of the other ship.*
*I hiss a little when I see you* Be careful, Mike please! *Riddick lays a hand on my shoulder as he watches, his jaw clenched*
* I stand on the hull and look at the camera giving a thumbs up, then go back to watching the other ship as we draw closer. *
*I lay my hand on the window, watching with terrified eyes as the ranger moved the ship close enough for Mike to touch. I try to see where the creatures on the other ship were but can't* hurry up please Mike..
* Mike takes the end of the flexible pipe and launches himself through space to the other ship's airlock. After a few seconds the lock slides silently open and Mike drags the pipe inside. Time passes
Mike emerges from the lock into space sealing the lock around the pipe. As he turns and signals the Ranger to start piping the chemical salt into the other ship 3 of the creatures cling to Mike's back. They float a little clinging with their forelegs. Mike seems unaware of them. *
*I see the aliens and slam my fist against the window, trying to get your attention. I wave my hands then point behind you. Riddick tries to point backwards as well*
* Mike keys his mic (heh heh) * What's going on? Something wrong?
*I push the button to talk to you, my eyes wide with fear* Mike! Behind you! There are three aliens...I can't protect you.
* You see Mike pivot and look around...*Where...I don't see anything?
There are on your back, Mike...they can't get to your spine because of the suit...but they are clinging to your back trying to get to your back. Get over here so Riddick and I can get them off of you! Please, Mike! *I press my hand against the window, my eyes pleading*
On my back...really. alive...in vacuum? Okay hold on..* Mike goes quiet for a few seconds *
Okay you're right I checked the suit's systems and there's damage to the back, Give me a second.
* Mike quickly unseals the other ships lock and swings back inside. Almost a minute passes before he "flies" back out because he opened the lock to the pressurized ship and then exploded the pressure outward. He's heading back toward our ship in a cloud of the poison dust. *
Okay I'm going to hit the ship and get in the airlock. As soon as it pressurizes hit the disinfectant spay and wash the suit down. Between the alien spit or whatever was attacking the suit and this powder it may not hold up much longer.
* Mike makes his way into the airlock and closes the door allowing it to pressurize.*
*I fly to the airlock and look inside, seeing you safely inside. I do as you say, holding my breath as I wait for you to be able to come back on the ship*
* Mike allows the spray to run several minutes...checks the integrity of his suit, ties himself down and keys the intercom. *Okay...don't open up till I clear the lock again.
* Mike blows the airlock throwing everything in the lock into space except for one of the aliens which Mike holds on to.*
Okay...it's dead. Repressurize if you're satisfied it's safe. The suit will never be the same.
[night have a good one.]
*I chew on my lower lip as I hit the button. Once the door opens to let you back into the ship, I enter quickly hugging you tightly.* Mike, I was so scared when we saw the aliens attached to you. I thought that they were going to destroy the suit and kill you out there. And I couldn't do anything! I felt so helpless. I kept trying and trying to stop them with my mind but I couldn't since they had no mind of their own. I felt so helpless...(Night)
No...I'm okay. And the powder does kill them * Mike holds up the dead alien *. What really creeped me out was that these things survive in vacuum. * Mike hugs Lacy back then turns and looks at the helmet he's removed. It shows marks that look like acid burns. Once he removes his vacuum suit it also shows acid damage. *
Wonder how long it would have taken these things to eat through it? Well...they haven't broken through to the colonists yet so they have some limits.
You know this adds to the problems we know about. The conspiracy to form a universe spanning empire and now these things. Where are they coming from? How did they get on that ship? Where's the ship from? Oh yeah, and is this tied in with the conspiracy or something completely separate?
*I grimace when I see the helmet and suit* Maybe once everyone is safe we can wake someone up and they can tell us. But only if those things are dead. I won't go back in that ship until they are all dead. *I glance back to the other ship* I hope this doesn't have anything to do with us and the mutations.
You and me both. As for you going back in the ship, we need to talk. We'll need to wear full body armor or vacuum suits. Have you had one constructed that will accommodate your wings?
*I shake my head* No...I tried but it actually hurts my wings.
Well, okay. I'll have to go in and clear the ship. You and Riddick can be in the airlock here. Once I'm sure the things are all dead and blow the powder into space you two can come over. Let's give it 24 hours and then I'll go back in.
*I chew on my lower lip as I look back at you* Can't we just send your other you? He can make sure everything is clear and doesn't need any protection and then you can stay here with us, where it's safe! And he can show you what he is looking t through his eyes since he is you...Tor can help me out with that part. Please? *I take your hand in mine as I plead with you*
That's not a real being. He or it can't know what it's found. I have to know that all those things are dead...all of them. We don't even know how the reproduce yet. I'll wear full body armor, it's tougher than the suits. I don't like to wear the stuff, but I will.
*I slowly let your hand go and sigh heavily* All right... *I look down then turn and walk away, my shoulders stiff and my head still down*
* Mike shakes his head, somewhat concerned about lacy. Maybe all this is a bit much for her, especially if things stay this dicey. He made mental note to keep an eye out lest she be hurt because things are so hard on her. He also decided to ask Riddick to watch out for her also. *
*I sit down on a side chair, staring out at the ship, leaning my head against my arms as I continue to watch the ship. Riddick walks past me, eyeing me then heads off to check on the readings for the other ship and for the planet that we had originally planned to head to. He looks at you as he walks by then glances back to where I was, raising an eyebrow*
* Mike approaches Riddick and asks that after he's finished with what he was doing he join Mike in the galley. There Mike and Riddick sit together where Mike confided his concern about Lacy. Then, concerned that Lacy might worry about not being invited over Mike and Riddick go over and ask Lacy to join them for dinner. Mike has asked Riddick to watch over Lacy. *
*my eyes flutter a little as I come out of my trance and look up at you and Riddick* Oh...hi...uh yea sure...I'll meet you guys there. I'm going to stop by my room for a minute. *I stand and walk past you both, heading for my room. Riddick looks back at you. He tells you that he will watch over me and voices his concern that I was distancing myself from you and him*
*I step into my room and looks around for a moment. I smile when my eyes land on a book bag that I had brought with me but had never brought any attention to and kneel in front of my bed, pulling out a journal and a pen. I begin to write, pushing some hair back over my shoulder, unaware that Riddick had followed me*
* Riddick takes up a position outside Lacy's door, pulling a chair from his room and leaning back against the wall, listening for anything through the door. *
*As I write I begin to hum until I finished. I then pull out a blank notebook and begin to write, glancing at my notes only a few times, but letting things flow. I finish a few chapters then stand, stretching my legs. I walk out of the room and nearly jump when I see Riddick.* Riddick you scared me half to death. What are you doing here? I thought I was going to meet you guys for dinner in the hall. Is everything okay? You look worried. *I gently touch his cheek and lift his face to look at me*
* He holds out his arm and smiles and says he was just waiting for a dinner partner. *
*I smile and let my fingers drift down off of his cheek and gently takes his arm.* Well then I guess you found your dinner partner. *I walk with Riddick, playfully kicking him in the back of the leg, nearly tripping both of us a few times. I laugh when we get to the mess hall, no longer kicking him, but leaning my head against his arm.*
* Mike greets them and they gather at a table where Tor is already looking expectant. The animals gather as Mike feeds them from the food dispensers. A chance for a few calm hours pf peace. *
[night]
*I gently stroke Tor's head before I grab a plate of mashed potatoes, corn, and a pork chop and of course a Dr. Pepper for dinner. I then get two other plates but instead of a pork chop there are steaks and I place one plate in front Mike and the other in front of Riddick* This is nice...I've missed this. Us eating in peace, not having to worry about who got hurt or anything. Wish it was more like this all the time.(Night)
So...would 2 steaks be gluttony?
*I giggle and shake my head* Not for you, Mike, since your metabolism is as fast if not faster than mine.
Dare to Dream
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (other topics)Phoenix Rising (other topics)
The Janus Affair (other topics)
You salt or salts might be an idea. A fine granular mist in the air system. The colonialists would be safe.