Futuristic The Blue Betty

[Circus]

The successive gun blasts drew the drunk’s attention from his shadow fight to the large man they called the Enforcer. Past him, Otter recognized, was the fabled captain of the Blue Betty. Otter threw his bottle to the ground and stomped his way toward the man. The drunk brushed past the armored gunman and grabbed Aaron by the scruff of his collar.


“Who do you think you are showing up after all this time, Cap’n? I should kill you.” Otter met Aaron’s eye and reflected years of alcohol-burdened emotion through them. “How could you just leave me and Betty? Cap’n… ” Otter’s grasp around the ship’s captain weakened. “Cap’n, I’m not leaving Betty again.”


His head was spinning; the world was spinning. The emotion and booze was too much. He could feel it force its way up from his stomach and onto the captain’s boots. Otter brushed the remaining contents of his stomach dribbling from his mouth onto his sleeve. “We can wash that out,” Otter said regrettably. "I know a guy."

 

[Th3Tru3Cr33p3r]

Trent chuckled.


"If those police try to impound this ship after seeing me standing in front of it they'd have finally grown a pair."


He moved to the side to allow Aaron to approach his ship.


"I will continue to prevent anyone from gaining access to this ship unless you give them permission. You must know that there are several a ship thief on this station that would wish to capture such a legendary prize."

 

[Vudukudu]

Aaron stared calmly at the angry drunk grasping his collar, maintaining a surprising aura of calm until Otter puked on his boots.


"I know a guy too. His name is Otter. Get on the Betty and clean my damn boots, you drunken buffoon." Aaron replied, reaching down and unbuckling his boots as he did so. He took them off, then put the vomit-laden boots into Otter's hands and pressed them to his chest. "And get the Betty ready to fly while you're at it. I don't think we'll be hanging around much longer."


Aaron sighed and turned to the Enforcer, who he knew literally nothing of. "Look, goon. I've been around this system more times than your mother's been taken ta' bed, and I'm guessing that's a lot if you're from around here. You know who I am, and I appreciate what yer' doin, but I hope you don't expect me to pay you. I didn't hire nobody to guard my ship, and I ain't letting you goad me into a fee. That is, unless ye'd like to work for me specifically and get off this rusty hulk of a station."

 

[KneelingAngel]

When Camo heard a shot in the distance she flinched, but smiled a few seconds later. If there was a gun shot there was a hole, and if there was a hole something needed to be fixed. She ran into the direction of the shot and reached a hug ship, just in time to see Otter, she knew the guy at Haley's multiple time during work, throw up over the captain's boots.


"You never learn, Otter." Camo said as she walked up to the group. "You should know by now that sailing and drinking belong together, but never on deck."


She wondered if the others knew who she was. Camo was the engineer that fixed the machine's at Haley's so she knew a lot of people by face, she wondered if it was the same way around. Camo looked up at the Blue Betty and whistled. "Nice ship." She mumbled and looked at the captain. "Need someone to have a look at it before you leave? I can do a quick check up if you want."

 

[Th3Tru3Cr33p3r]

Trent scowled at the jibe at his mother but was intrigued by the offer. Station 12 got boring because nobody messed with him anymore.


"I will consider your offer, captain. Come discuss the terms of this agreement when you are ready to leave, until then, I will continue my guard."


He stepped away from the captain whose attention was requested by everyone at once and resumed silently guarding the Betty.

 

[shadowdude505]

Tora walked out from behind the Betty once all the commotion settled down and froze. She wasn't sure what to do now. Sounds like this ship is going to take off soon, she thought as she stared at the Blue Betty. I need to get off this station fast. Should I try my luck with the captain? She tried to think up how the captain would react to her presence and came up with many scenarios. Well...the way things are going today anything is possible. She walked up to Captain Aaron and cleared her throat to get his attention. In the next few seconds her luck could change for the better or worse. She made sure she was near Trent, who seemed the most likely to act like an ally, just in case her hand in life's poker game came up bad.

 

[Circus]

“Aye, Cap’n,” Otter said with a grin. The puke boots would have to wait, he knew. Otter would finally be on the Blue Betty again after all this time. The release of poison from his body brought a surprising sense of awareness back. Otter walked through the familiar corridors of the Betty, running a hand along the wall as he made his way toward the head of the ship.


Otter dropped the boots outside the bridge doors and entered with an air of reverence. The whole room had a glow about it. To the pilot, this was his temple, his place of worship. He walked to the pilot’s chair and gave it a hug and a gentle kiss. As he slid down its leather face, a sound of ecstasy escaping his lips. His hands grasped around the controls. They fit like a glove. From there, it was like old times.


Otter flipped switches and toggled others and the Blue Betty rang with life. “It’s been a while, love. Did you miss me? I know you did, you sexy beast.” He hit a switch and activated the broadcast speakers to talk to the crowd outside. “This is Otter of the Blue Betty speaking. Me and Betty are going to need some private time. We’ll be ready to leave in about, say, twenty minutes.” The speakers cut off and on again. “Hell, who am I kidding, I only need ten.”

 

[Vudukudu]

Otter's voice pierced the few seconds of silence as a new, altogether suspicious and somewhat awkward woman approached him. She had merely stopped a few feet from him and cleared her throat, an eerie look of anticipation about her. He sighed and ignored her for another moment, figuring it couldn't hurt, and turned towards the cockpit.


"Hey, Otter, you BUN tyen-shung duh ee-DWAY-RO. I own a black light, don't forget to clean up after yourself." He called out, rolling his eyes. Finally, he addressed the oddly silent girl before him. At least, he assumed she was just a girl. She was Chinese, and they all looked about twelve to him.


"And who in the hell are you? If you think I owe yer daddy money, ye'd be mistaken. If Otter knocked you up and you wanna come with, I'll be straight with you and tell ya that just ain't my problem. So what's your business, before I get tired of looking at your sad little panda face?" Aaron grunted, taking a step towards the young woman before him.


He had figured by now that she was likely interested in tagging along. Thus far, she had done nothing to prove she was worthy besides make an awkward approach, and now she was being tested.

 

[WrittenHollowness]

The folks standing around the hangar were getting way too chummy in Harm's opinion. And, there was the fact that the lot of them had accumulated a lot of attention and were being sought out by their own demons on this smear of a planetary colony. 'The sooner we get off this rock, the better,' he thought while sizing up what characteristics he'd have to use to pursuade this rag-tag group. "Hey!" Harmony yelled out loud, tensing his body for battle. "I am going to request safe passage on this ship formally before any other actions continue." He turned to the Captain, whom the "Enforcer" had addressed earlier. "I can be a very useful asset, a multipurpose tool if you may. I am no one...which means I can be anyone you want me to be."


He turned to the woman, who'd looked like she'd been chased around the frakkin galaxy and still managed to keep a sense of charm. "I can be a thief...or a pilot...a body-guard or a doctor..." His glance landed on the asian-man who looked about as sanitary as the Farsax Disease. "Except you...I couldn't be you." Harmony chortlled. "But, this is my nice offer. I could just take the ship and leave all of you to your own devices. But none of us can afford that--or to be making aquaintances now!" he ended, sealing his pitch with a a look of desparation. Now it was time to wait for the catch to bite.

 

[shadowdude505]

Tora scowled "Panda face," huh... she thought with disgust. She quickly realized that he hadn't pointed out her tattoo. "You must be a terrible bounty hunter," she laughed. "Did you fly in from another universe mister?" She quickly stopped laughing at the thought that she might be pushing her luck. "Seriously though, it sounds like you don't know who's who in the criminal world, and that can be a very bad thing. Especially if you happen to accept an odd job of two for those types."


"I haven't met any of you, nor do I pretend to. The name's Tora Khan, but the police know me better as the Tigress," she replied, finally introducing herself. "Some would call me a thief, but I'm an honest one. I'm a trained marksman, know some basic first aid, and can pilot small spacecraft." She glanced at Harmony before turning her attention back to the captain. "Coincidentally I could use a ride off this station. I don't have a particular destination in mind and I'll pay you your fee. Although...," she paused and grinned cunningly. "If you're one of those law bending captains, you could use a person like me."

 

[Vudukudu]

"Now now, miss. Do I look like a bounty hunter to you? Quite frankly, I'm offended. So offended that I might refer you to a few actual bounty hunters. The type that just don't care about dead or alive." Aaron replies, frowning at the girl (he had decided woman credited her with too much maturity). "And for the flying in from another universe part, well, you'd be surprised." He added, giving a slight shrug.


He paused for a moment, looking her over as if examining an odd food item before the first tentative bite. "And there's no such thing as an honest thief. Just thieves who won't admit their greedy scum just like the rest of us. And I prefer the term smuggler. It's a zero-bull**** word and law-bending implies I at least acknowledge the law. But get your rotten, pocket-picking a** on board, I may need someone of your type."


Aaron waved Tora off, turning to face Harmony as he did so. "And you, ye misbegotten son of an ape and an elephant. I don't take kindly to threats, and I can't blame you for not knowing who I am considering you look like you could be a thirteen year old who got hit real hard by the puberty stick. Point is, the Betty ain't a mental hospital and it sounds like you need one more than most Station Twelvers do."

 

[Cokes]

Hao casually strolled from a hotel facility towards the docks, having changed clothes and acquired a suitcase. He is now dressed in a slim, dark suit with purple tie and a black felt cowboy hat. The suit appeared to be custom tailored, though for someone slightly larger than Hao. Elsewhere, a traveling businessman returned to his room to find most of his wardrobe missing.


<p><a href="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_08/suit.png.6e4648e44dc58e75c0cf8e221fbdccb7.png" class="ipsAttachLink ipsAttachLink_image"><img data-fileid="27064" src="<fileStore.core_Attachment>/monthly_2014_08/suit.png.6e4648e44dc58e75c0cf8e221fbdccb7.png" class="ipsImage ipsImage_thumbnailed" alt=""></a></p>


When he reached the dock, Hao casually walked past the assorted arguments and discussions, strolling on board the Betty. He dropped the suitcase in the hall for later retrieval and stepped back outside to stand by the Captain, pausing for a moment to light a cigarette.


"So, Cap, looks like we've got the Tigress, not sure what to tell you to do with that one; some freaky kid who thinks he can take the lot of us on, which is cute; some big fella with a shotgun, I like him, might need to work on the trigger discipline though; that little techie chick from Halley's, she's can keep a ship sailin' as far as I know; and I assume Otter is on board making drunk, sloppy love to the pilot's console."


He took a puff.


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[KneelingAngel]

Camo laughed and bend over, grabbing her stomach. "You really think that I'm going to join a ship?" She asked once she stood back up straight again. "Glad you notice me, but I'm not joining any crew. I'm home based. I just do quick fix ups... Unless you have a nice catch, that is." She smirked before she shot Hao a glare. "Call me chick or little again and I'll shove a wrench so far up your ass that you'll be shitting rust for the rest of your life. Just Camo or Bolts is fine."

 

[Vudukudu]

Aaron listened to Hao's summary, nodding a little. Then, Camo, apparently offended by his words, replied with a decent enough threat.


"I like this one. The little chick, that is." He said, glancing at Hao before turning to address the engineer completely. "Listen girlie. I don't trust my ship to just any random wrench monkey. So I'm goin ta offer you something of a personal challenge here. Prove to me that you have what it takes to fix my baby, and I'll pay you two thousand credits up front, with more to come per commission if you stay on board. FTL drive is broken, reactor core isn't venting heat properly. You've got.. fifteen minutes. Go."


"And you, freak job!" Aaron continued, turning towards Harm. "Three, rational, logical reasons as to why I don't put a bullet in you, and feel free to include reasons as to why I should even bother taking your punk ass along. Specifics, not general 'look at what I can do, mommy!' cuz the rest of us can piss standing up, too. Big frakkin' deal."

 

[Cokes]

Hao tapped a bit of ash from the tip of his cigarette. "Don't think the dame knows who we are, Cap. Not sure who oughta be more insulted, you 'r me. 'Spose we can educate her." With the removal of his hat and a flourish with his smoking hand, Hao gestures to Aaron. "Feast your eyes! The good captain of the great Blue Betty, Aaron de la Montes!"


The hat is returned to the thin man's head. "And I'm Hao Long, I think we became acquainted after a night of prodigious debauchery at Halley's." He takes a slow drag, thinking for a moment. "Unless that was a different raven-haired girl. I was pretty hammered, among other things. We could always check for the birth mark." His eyes wandered to her left hip for a moment before returning to her face.


"Anyway." He cleared his throat.

 

[KneelingAngel]

Camo's jaw dropped slightly when she heard Hao's words and her hand snapped towards her hip. She bit her tongue in annoyance and growled, she was never going to get drunk again. She forced a smile and stepped in front of Hao. "If the handprint fits," She grabbed a wrench from her back pocket, spun it in the air and catched it, pointing the piece of metal at Hao's face. "I'll ruin the last bit of pride you have." She snarled before turning towards the captain.


"I'll have it done in ten minutes, unless you dragged the ship through hell and abused her." Camo stuck the wrench back in her back pocket again and picked up her tools, accepting the challenge as she headed towards the core.


"Make it three thousand credit and you got me." She called over her shoulder and headed down some metal stairs, disappearing from the others view.

 

[Cokes]

The wiry man of indeterminate part-Asian origin chuckled at Camo's probably-warranted aggression. "You bruise easy, not sure we can afford another softy on board." As she walked past him, Hao less-than-subtly looked over his shoulder to watch her rear while she headed into the belly of the beast.


"Though I suppose if we take kitty cat here we might break even." A twitch of his lower lip tipped his cigarette towards Tora. "But hell, think the ol' girl can handle another lowlife deviant?" He clears his throat. "Lowlife anyway, sorry ma'am, we can figure out if you're a deviant later." His inappropriate joke is punctuated by a smirk and a tip of his hat. Hao's gaze returns to Aaron. "Pretty sure there's a bounty on her, but not enough to make a dent in Betty's overall value to the authorities."


Abruptly, Hao's eyes went wide. "While you were gone, Cap, did you happen to check behind the- Nevermind. I'll be right back." Hao darted into the ship, disappearing down the hall towards the bunks.

 

[shadowdude505]

Tora had walked into the ship once Captian Aaron waved her off and watched the comical scene between Hao and Camo from the Betty's open entrance. She didn't crack a smile, her mind was elsewhere. She hadn't enjoyed the captain's lecture. Looks like I'll have to build a reputation. Hao's most recent comment to her proved it. She frowned and gave the man-with-similar-ancestry a serious look. Tora pulled out a cigarette of her own and started to puff it as he walked by. Determined to make the best of the situation she found herself in, she flashed a roguish smirk once Hao's back was facing her.

 

[Circus]

A flick and a grunt, a twist and a squeal, the activation sequence for Betty was a pleasure Otter missed deeply. It came back to him like a fond dream. “I bet you like that, yeah. Oh, Betty, you sassy lass.” Otter continued his run-down of the operations. “Weapons, check. Shields, check. Yada, yada, yada. Check, check, check. Wait, why is the FTL disengaged? That idiot Cap’n been over working you, I bet. Well, it is non-essential but we won’t be making any speedy getaways with it broken.”


Otter continued the systems check when an image on the ship’s rear camera caught his attention. He flipped the switch to broadcast again. “Cap’n, it looks like we have some visitors approaching from the rear.” Otter snickered, “and from the looks of it, they really want to give it to us.” The video showed Halley’s barman and several other fuming bar patrons and unfamiliars armed from head to toe. “I think someone forgot to pay their tab. Hao.”


Otter toggled a control on the panel and released a flume of black exhaust toward the assailants to slow their assault. “Betty’s ready to depart. Let’s get out of here before they find a place to stuff us with those blasters.”

 

[Vudukudu]

Aaron quirked his eyebrow at Hao's worried exit, but paid it no mind. He was Hao, and anything he had left behind was probably nothing Aaron wanted to know about. He shrugged it off, looking around the rest of the hangar. He registered Otter's voice, but paid it no heed until a puff of black exhaust clouded the room. Moments later, he understood Otter's earlier comment.


This was no place to put up a fight, and it might damage the Betty even more. Camo hadn't officially agreed to stay on board, but it looked like fate had chosen her for this particular adventure. "Comon gorilla man, get aboard." He grunted, waving the Enforcer into the ship. With the characteristic flair he had shown so many years before, Aaron perched himself on the landing ramp, facing the approaching men. They hadn't opened fire yet, fortunately.


Aaron put both hands in front of him, one in a closed fist and the other making a jack-in-the-box-like movement. Slowly, the middle finger on his fisted hand sprung upwards, just in time for the ramp to block him from view. "Alright Otty, get us off this rock. Point us towards Lotari, then get everybody to my quarters. Got some talkin' to do."

 

[Cokes]

Hao stepped out of his once and future bunk, polishing a long-barreled revolver and looking rather content. Then he felt the ship rock. "Welp, sounds like we're off then," he mumbled to himself. Should probably tell the chick sitting under the generator that it's about to get toasty in there. Shame to cook her already. A flick of his wrist exposed the cylinders for cleaning with a wire brush. Shortly, he appeared in the engine room. After a moment inspecting his new crewmate, he chimed in, "'Bout to get real hot in here darlin', Otter's firin' her up, don't think the drunk ol' sonnuvabitch knows yer in here."


Hao snapped the cylinder back in before pointing it at various objects around the room, checking the sights and the single- and double-action. "'Sides, Cap's prolly about to give one of his speeches, loves the damn things." He headed down the hall back towards Aaron's quarters, flicking the cylinder in and out of his revolver. Gotta oil the old girl later, no sticks in a gunfight. Hao holsters the revolver on his hip and draws two small, semi-automatic handguns from his underarm holsters. Christ, may just have to scrap these guys, however many years collecting dust and grime. He holstered one gun before dropping the mag out of the other. As he turned the corner to the captain's quarters, he pulled the slide back and peered in the ejection port, frowning briefly before letting it snap back and looking up. "What's crackin', cap'n?"

 

[KneelingAngel]

Camo looked up when she heard someone over the speaker and started working faster, she didn't want to end up like toast. Camo sped up her work and tightened both the coolant plates, she was almost done when she heard that bastard called Hao telling her that it was about to get really hot, as if it wasn't hot enough down here.


"I know, I know!" She snapped at him and jumped up from her spot. She ran towards the reactor core and loosened the bolts to the vent a little and gave it a kick before running towards the stairs. "She's ready to go!" She shouted.

 

[WrittenHollowness]

Harm looked at the approaching storm of frakk coming in his direction. In all frankness, he couldn't afford to be left behind, not when what he knew what he did. Not when his innocence was stripped away for the efforts of a botched plan. He kept onto the ship and entered with his sights set on the gruff man who'd asked for his reasons earlier. He was prepared to offer his last resorts for passage: No games, just the truth.


"Do you see these three tattoos?" He pointed to the hummingbirds nestled on his forearm. "They hold important information. Dangerous things that could bring the entire system down. But that is less important than the information in my head." Harm closed his eyes and focused on the next few sentences. "You, I, everyone knows that the government that has been established is a lie. That lie took away my humanity. I'm a freak, created by dictators who would do anything not to be exposed. So, I want to do everything I can to expose them.". Harmm shrugged after his grand speech was done.


" And, if you don't like me after all, I have two million credits on my head. If you aren't the good man I see that you are, use me as a bargaining chip.". Harmony knew that would only give his a sliver of time to get his point across, but something burned in his chest as he stared into the hardened eyes of the ship's captain. Something he thought was destroyed years ago: Hope.

 

[Vudukudu]

Well frakk me sideways with a diamond-bladed chainsaw, the nutjob is on my ship. And he's talking. Best just drone him out until I can find a place to dump him off.





And then he heard 'two million credits' and Aaron's attention was gained. He'd heard a few words, along the conspiracy theory line, but he couldn't have given a damn if it was true or not. Regardless of what happened in the rest of the galaxy, his work would always be needed.


But two million credits was a lot of money. As in, enough for him and everyone else on this ship to retire comfortably. But, in all likelihood, the boy was delusional and in need of just as much help as any other lost kid would be. But he seemed desperate, and in need of help. Even if the reasons weren't true (which Aaron sincerely doubted them), he'd been known to give handouts to a few troubled misfits before, so why not continue it now?


He sighed and turned his back, pacing a few steps before turning back and coming to Harmony once more. He kept silent for a few seconds, then raised an accusatory finger at the boy. "Listen very closely to what I'm about to say. I don't like liabilities aboard my vessel. We've got enough of those as is with Otter behind the controls, Hao Long cooking up Eklek in his lab, and an engineer we literally kidnapped. So as long as you stay the hell out of everyone's way, don't cause too much trouble, and do what you're asked, I'll keep you around. You're not getting paid, you're earning a place to sleep and food in your gut. Terms are subject to change upon future circumstances."

 

[WrittenHollowness]

"Aye, aye." Harmony agreed, mimicking the Capitan's voice before scurrying away to explore the ship. It was big and bulky, in need of some repair in more than a few areas. The boy touched the smooth metal that held the hull together. He sighed, finally feeling able to breathe properly for the first time in months.


Harm took a little time to do a self evaluation as he strode down the corridors. A quick glance over proved that he was quite alright, contrary the conditions that had brought him there. "Well...I guess it's time to introduce myself to everyone." He sighed.


That would be the drawback to the situation, seeing as everyone's agenda was just as bent as his was. The man slinked his way to the engine room, making sure not to be heard. The old timer said there was a kidnapped engineer, who would be less likely to bring up a reason why he should be knocked into zero space. Harm didn't know what to say to the young woman, whose back was turned. So he sat down and hoped she wouldn't shriek loudly upon discovering him.