Futuristic The Frontier: A Space Western [ALWAYS OPEN!]

[Funeral]

Zack Hall(It's actually him. I can't believe I left my camera at home)

The rest of the patrons inside the bar stare at Zack in disbelief, like they can't believe what they just heard after his speech. Silence. "They still can't believe Zack Hall is standing here, in the flesh, in front of them. It will take time for them to absorb it. I just hope they're not too hysterical when they snap out of it" he thinks to himself.

He starts going upstairs and looks at Erica, "Thanks again for everything darling. I'll be back down later. Now, it might not be for a couple more hours, it'll seem like the longest couple of hours of your life. Please be strong" He says to her as he starts heading up. "Oh and uh, anyone else tries to collect the bounty just page me. My movies have inspired many, actually ALL bounty hunters. They see how cool and easy I make it look on the big screen and they think they could do it too. It should be left to the professionals" he says with a wink and leaves.

NemoTheSurvivor capMARVELOUS The_Omega_Effect

 

[NemoTheSurvivor]

Erica Branton

While Zack Hall walked off to peacock, Erica turned towards the man in goggles sitting at the bar. "We serve tea, juice, soda, beer, and liquor," Erica said. "As for snacks, peanuts for sure, chips, fries, margaritas, or you could just tip this into your mouth." Erica set a salt shaker in front of the man. She then set a menu in front of him before picking up the card. "Normally, this would get you ten percent off your order, but since your bill is covered, I think I'll charge you full price." She winked. "If you're going to be waiting a while, first drink's free and you get twenty-five percent off a room for the night, and should you pass out, I won't charge extra to drag you to your room. Once you're ready to order, let me know, 'kay?" she flashed the man a smile before looking through the room. Zack Hall continued to act as if Erica was smitten with him before heading up to his room. "Next time the peacock comes out here and flirts with me, I'm going to taze him," she mumbled to herself. And with that, she went back to organizing the drinks while waiting for the man in goggles to order.

The_Omega_Effect Funeral

*****​

Jenna Branton

Jenna waved goodbye as the man in goggles left. She looked over the rifle again, mentally taking notes, when Waltz entered the shop. "Hello Waltz," Jenna said. Waltz asked about the rifle on the counter. "I didn't ask and he didn't tell, so I can't say. Head on into the examination room-" Jenna gestured towards Waltz's right, where a door labeled "Private" was located "-and I'll be there in a second." Jenna ducked into the back for a second and placed the rifle onto her scanner. "Computer, analyze the revolving cylinder and prep for modification 8754R, three copies."

"Acknowledged," her computer said. "Beginning scan."

With the scan running, Jenna joined Waltz in the examination room. "You're scheduled for regular maintenance," she said, "but if there's anything specific you need tuned, or if there's something outside of regular maintenance you need done, let me know now." Jenna started to boot up her VI assistant program. "As long as it's not too complex, it won't be extra."

KStrausser

 

[KStrausser]

"Waltz"​

No upstanding citizen had need of a rifle caliber that size or that heavily-modified. Whoever was the owner, they probably meant trouble. Of course, that wasn't his job. The aftermath was his job.

Waltz nodded, turning for the door and stepping inside the familiar room. Cold, metallic and full of wires, machines and instruments - just how he liked it. Sitting down besides the main terminal, he set his hat down by his side. He had walked into town years ago with the thing on his dome without any memories of how it had gotten there, or how he had gotten here. If it wasn't battered then, it was battered now - well faded, edges jagged and worn.

Waltz looked up as Jenna finally joined him. Perhaps he should ask after all. Whatever remnants of his previous iteration might interfere with his current duties. He was not curious. Curiosity was not part of his programming. "If it's not too much of a problem, Miss Branton, perhaps you could run a deeper diagnostic of my software and memory banks. I have been experience what I think are artifacts from my previous iteration. Nothing serious, though it's far safer to be certain" He did not want her to think he was malfunctioning - The W-41 line was an old model after all. As the humans would say: Waltz was far past his prime.

NemoTheSurvivor

 

[Locomotive]

Atticus "Salty" Sprea

Atticus continued to slide liquor down his face in a steady but manageable trickle. The smokey din of the bar had started to crackle with some expectant energy and the simmering activity of a normal bar had been replaced by something blinking out of a dreary slumber. He couldn't put his finger on what exactly he had noticed, he had stopped trying long ago. He only knew that one's "gut instinct" was almost always the latent parts of the human brain trying to alert the self of something that person wasn't fully capable of absorbing for whatever reason. It didn't matter what it was, it just mattered that it was there and he trusted it.

He reached into one of the many pockets that were slyly revealed in his charcoal-colored duster and pulled out a small computer. The buzzing blue light of the Gov issued database illuminated the deep lines in his face revealing an intense spiderweb of deep lines and wrinkles, particularly around his hawkish eyes. He blinked in mild irritation and immediately dimmed the screen so that his face was just a little less bright than a full moon. He winced down another gulp of whiskey and dug into the records. His rough fingers, much like gnarled branches of an old oak, tapped deftly over a micro keyboard.

[Inquiry: Local Bounties]

Results immediately started flashing across the screen in coded sequence. A series of strange, angular hieroglyphs specific to him. A paranoid pragmatist, he insisted on outfitting his computer with his own simple cypher. The usual gaggle of disreputables popped up. Rape, Murder, Double Murder, etc. The usual parade of failure and desperation that he had come to expect from his decade or so out on this colony A name popped up that he recognized, "Cody Lungren" and his mouth tightened briefly. It didn't please him to see an old war buddy a) here on Mars with him and b) on the Gov's shit list.

Ah. There it was. Mr. Big Fish Finch. Here was the bounty people would mostly likely be here for. Really, Finch was pretty small fucking potatoes compared with some bigger colonies. Nonetheless, the man had been getting cocky. Cocky and violent, and it was true that the Militiamen here weren't exactly outfitted with the kind of equipment it would take to bring down a group of thugs who had no inclination (or reason to) go quietly.

[Inquiry: Yeomen spotted - New Eden]

There was no guarantee that anyone would show up on his inquiry list. Yeoman were mostly pretty good at slipping through the Gov's clunky bureaucracy. Yeomen were pretty good about-

Oh, no there it was. Report of a disturbance in town. Someone had tried to fry the big fish, but he had wriggled away back into the fetid cesspool of this city's criminal underbelly. Salty's face remained stony as always, but there was the slightest hint of a twitch in his narrow, stubbled cheek as he silently laughed at himself. His compartmentalized brain was chuckling amicably while the rest of him sternly glared at the screen. No Pos ID on who had tried to get Finch, other than it was a woman. He didn't know whether he wanted to take these people into the station with him or try to recruit some soldiers to fight for the greater good. He shook his head and refilled his glass.

That might be like trying to crush a cockroach with a stick of lit dynamite.

 

[capMARVELOUS]

LEVI STARK, "THE MAN FROM GALILEE"​

Finally, "the famous Zack Hall" was finished peacocking. The bar was quiet once again. Levi finished off his half-full glass of milk, closed his Bible, and started to think, formulating a plan for his stay here.

He drew out his credit chit from a special pocket on his belt, thumbed it, and glanced at the amount of credits left on it. The small display read 96HSC. He shook his head; 96 was a piteous amount. Not nearly enough to afford a long stay, which for him lasted around two days. He'd have to either collect that bounty the barmaid mentioned ASAP, or, should he fail to collect it (God forbid), move on to the next colony. Either way, his options were sorely limited.

He clasped his hands together, bowed his head, and began to pray, for luck collecting the bounty. When he finished, he returned his Bible and credit chit to their places, grabbed his helmet, and approached the barmaid to pay his tab and ask about lodging. And the bounty, of course.

( NemoTheSurvivor )​

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Zer0

Zero was quite amused by the self proclaimed, star Zack Hall paying for his drinks and thinking that he moved away from him as a result of him being intimidated. He was very tempted to pop the little bubble that this guy lived in. But he hesitated to do so, as his general ignorance towards things was entertaining to say the least. When the bartender approached him, he looked up at her and smiled, with him stopping upon the quick realization that any emotion that he displayed using his face would not be recognized due to how it was covered by the bandana and the goggles. He chuckled a little at her suggestion of him eating the salt from the shaker. With him being reminded of his mask, he started to hesitate on ordering food as he would have to take off his bandana to eat it. Not to mention how he would get his gloves dirty. He could take them off, but then he would get his hands dirty. And he could not have that. Especially not when he had to handle his weapons regularly.

As the bartender mumbled of how she wanted to taze the man if he were to flirt with her again, he chimed in. "Well, be sure to do that after he buys me another drink." He said jokingly. Then he went on to order something. "I think I am going to have...some lemonade...Yes a cold glass of lemonade...And a straw to drink it with if you don't mind..." He then paused for a bit before continuing. "And also one of those little umbrella things that they put in...oh never mind. Just the straw."

Zero wondered how much money he really had left. He reached for an electronic device that he used on a daily basis which assisted him a lot. He turned it on to reveal a keyboard and 8 slots for 8 different passwords. His fingers zipped through the screen as he typed at an incredible speed. This was not only designed to ward off anybody trying to memorise his password, but it was also a trick, as only the last digit in every one of the eight boxes counted. It wrote "11,047.63 HSC". He looked over at this number and felt a bit of comfort, knowing that the fortune he had gained from his last assassination job was going to last him for quite a bit. It was the reason why he had to leave the town after all. If nobody there saw a guy with a big gun and identified him as the killer, nobody would be able to put a bounty of him.

He then opened up another part and got into a different interface. After a bit of calibration, it recognized the city he was in, the "New Eden Colony". Here it displayed the map of the area, where he was and most importantly for him, the bounty list. The list had a bunch of smaller fishes, with the biggest one catching his eye. Mr. Finch. A crime boss apparently. The bounty of him was quite big too. He growled as he had just found a target for himself. He pressed on the guy, selecting him as a target, with him now knowing what he wanted to do in the town.

As he noticed the footsteps of some other person approaching, he quickly turned off his device and then put it back. He shifted his gaze to the man to recognize that it was the guy with the religious book from earlier. Was he a bounty hunter too? Probably. But it was clear that he was not an assassin like him. He seemed to be a person who only killed the bad guys on the bounty list, whereas Zero would kill just about anyone. Him not being identified as a threat so far meant that he was doing something right. He lifted his hand off of the counter to give a small wave of it to the man.

NemoTheSurvivor capMARVELOUS​

 

[Funeral]

Zack Hall(The Star of such films as "Bullets Don't Argue" and "Stop! Let Me Fix My Hair Before I Kill You")

"ZAAAAAAAAAAACK!" a loud voice calls out, traveling through the tall grass, the scattered trees, and filling up the air higher than where birds fly. Zack catches a blonde headed figure that leaped into his arms from nearly 20 feet away(must be some kind of record). "Zack my love! I saw you in the distance and I just couldn't wait. I had to be in your big, strong arms as soon as humanly possible!" Zack looks at Erica in his arms and smiles, "I know my love, we go through this everyday. I'm also happy to see you, the second most beautiful person in the world(I'm #1 of course)". Erica gets lost in Zack's arms and can't stop crying tears of happiness.

Levi appears and walks up to Zack. "Zack, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for advising me to stop reading books. All I do now is watch your movies. Is it true you do all your own stunts?" He asks. Zack smiles and winks at him, "Indeed"
Zero appears next to Levi. "Zack before I start crying and getting all hysterical, thank you for acknowledging me at the tavern that one time. Oh boy here we go, here comes the water works" Levi pulls our a handkerchief and gives it to Zero.

Erica looks up at Zack while he's still holding her in his arms, "Zack, we should get home, our 8 kids can't wait to see you" they both start rubbing noses(Eskimo kisses).
"Oh gosh, there they go again" Zero says blushing.
"There has never existed a love like the one between Zack and Erica Hall" Levi says.

Zack sits up suddenly, "Huh? Must have doozed off" Zack yawns and stretches his 35 inch guns(arm muscles). "I wonder what's going with that bounty" he thinks out loud. He shrugs and gets up and starts doing push-ups next to his bed.

NemoTheSurvivor capMARVELOUS The_Omega_Effect

 

[NemoTheSurvivor]

Erica Branton

"Sure thing," Erica said to the man in goggles. She stepped over to the icebox and pulled out the lemonade. A man who was sitting at a table now approached the bar. "Hello," Erica said to the man as she poured the lemonade. "Everything okay? Did you get the wrong drink? Sometimes the crew mixes up orders, so I'll make it personally, at no extra." She put a straw and mini umbrella into the glass and passed it to goggles. "Order up. And remember, you're on Zack Hall's tab tonight, so please, help yourself to everything on the menu." Erica turned her attention back to the man who approached the bar.

capMARVELOUS The_Omega_Effect

*****

Jenna Branton

"I can do that," Jenna said. "VIA, prep for full diagnostic scan."

"Confirmed," VIA replied. "Ready for full diagnostic scan."

"Begin scan." The computer monitor lit up. "While that's going, we'll begin the maintenance."

Jenna tested the various systems and motor functions on Waltz. There were only minor adjustments needed, and after a bit of tuning, Waltz was good to go. "All done. Nothing major, so you should be fine for a while still." Jenna then checked the monitor. "Strange. The scan failed. Too much corrupted data." Jenna started tapping away at keys. "Aside from scrambled data and incomplete files, a sole file was recovered. It appears to be a list of names. Klinton Propper, Ulysses Handbrow, Hannah Handbrow, Trey Indigo, Bridgette Yuman, Ian Malstrum. Any idea what that means?"

KStrausser

 

[capMARVELOUS]

LEVI STARK, "THE MAN FROM GALILEE"​

He nodded a greeting to the barmaid, who had just served the man in goggles a drink. In response to her question about the status of things on his end, he replied, "No, nothing wrong at all. The drinks were lovely. I'm just here to settle my tab in person, please. And, I'm terribly sorry to have eavesdropped on your conversation with Mr. Life's-a-Show back there, but you mentioned something about lodging in this establishment, and a bounty in this colony. I'd like to pay for the first, and maybe get some insight on the second." Despite his rough appearances and voice, he exhibited his best manners; Yeomen were widely regarded to be as nasty during their leisure hours as they were on the job, and he didn't want to be lumped in with that stereotype.

The man in goggles had given him a small wave; he responded to the gesture with a curt nod.

( NemoTheSurvivor The_Omega_Effect )​

 

[KStrausser]

"Waltz" ​

"I'm afraid not" He replied tentatively. It would seem whoever had wiped his memory did not do a very clean job. The list of names was curious, to day the least - another remnant of the past he didn't remember - one that might catch up to him one day, as mysterious pasts often had a tendency to do. "Perhaps the data could be recovered? It is not a priority, of course. I believe I am still fully functional, despite the fact"

Whatever it was, it had no effect on his ability as a medical professional, and thus, in the mean time, was irrelevant. His systems notified him there would be a patient visiting his clinic soon. More self-inflicted injuries, he supposed. "Thank you, Miss Branton, for services rendered." Waltz stood up from his seat. Jenna would find the appropriate payment had already been transferred to her account. Unlike humans, Waltz had no need of datapads or interfaces to stay connected. He was his own computer.

"If only more humans were like you." He continued, putting his hat back on. "I must be getting back now. Someone has probably injured themselves again"

NemoTheSurvivor Avari

(For posting purposes, feel free to find Waltz removing the sign from his door)

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Zer0

Zero got noticeably happier once his drink arrived, with him being pleasantly surprised that the barmaid placed the little umbrella in there too. He looked up at her briefly, before grabbing his drink and sliding it across the counter in a position where it was directly under his mouth. Lifting the drink, he grabbed the straw and placed it in his mouth awkwardly, under his bandana, with him starting to sip the lemonade. It was very good. Despite the low temperature of Mars, Zero loved to have cold drinks. They were just refreshing after a day of work. Or in his case, a day and a half.

While he was drinking, he couldn't help but listen in to the conversation the bible guy was having with the barmaid. The guy wanted to pay for his things and get a room for himself. Should I get a room too? thought Zero. He quickly dismissed the idea as he was not one who really needed comfortable beds to sleep. He could sleep just about anywhere. The problem was that it took any old noise to wake him up, leading to him slipping in and out of sleep quite regularly throughout his day. What interested him more was something about a bounty. He remembered the Zack Hall guy talk about the bounty too, with him also getting interested. "How about you go and wake up the big movie star and get him to pay for you. I mean, we gotta get as many drinks as we can outta this guy before he inevitably gets himself capped."

He then sipped his drink while looking at the two, wondering who this bounty was. If it was the Finch guy, then Zero would not be too afraid of his bounty getting stolen, as his way of killing which was unique when compared to those around him so far, seemed to be the only way of taking this guy out. That is what he thought anyway. Big, bad crime bosses walk around with loads of goons, leading to anything but a long range being highly ineffective. One might be able to take the man himself out. But that would not mean much considering his men would just shoot back and end whatever sorry fool who dared to challenge the guy without much forethought. At least this guy stood a chance though. The movie star upstairs would just get immediately obliterated.

Zero started to wonder whether he himself could even take on Finch. Investigating the guy would be a bit more difficult, as the more he asked around, the more prepared Finch would be. It is very likely for the local that gave him information to go up to Finch and tell on him, leading to Zero losing the element of surprise which would be absolutely crucial. He needed something. Some way to draw the guy out. But he also needed to be in position to take the shot. He looked around for a bit, wondering whether he could goad some of the people around to act as bait for him. Surely he would be able to trick Zack Hall into acting as bait for him. Zero's stance got more straightened up as he growled in thought, realizing that getting this guy would be harder than he thought. And so far, there were at least two other people going after the same person. He could always find a way to exploit them.

capMARVELOUS NemoTheSurvivor​

 

[Avari]

LUCY VALENTINE

THE CLINIC

Waltz stepped out of the airlock door, and froze at the chaotic sight in front of him.

A familiar redheaded woman was laying on her side on the operating table - her crimson dress torn, her arms bruised and blooded. Her right leg was hanging outside her dirtied clothes and showed skin all the way up to her thigh.
In her left - not quite as bruised - hand, she was holding what appeared to be a half empty bottle of whiskey. A pile of playing cards were scattered at her feet, along with a basic pistol.

“Oh no...” She purred as she noticed the surgical droid standing before her, her lips spiced with mischief. “I’m all helpless and a big handsome droid has found me...what will he do...?”

Waltz sensors flickered for a moment, and he instantly turned on his feet and made to leave back through the airlock.

“No wait!” Lucy shouted, frantically trying to get up but but not quite managing it. “I’m actually in quite a lot of pain, please help me I was just trying to be cute please don’t leave I’ll tidy up I promise, please come back magical robot!"


---


INTERACTION: KStrausser

 

[Sarah Bear]

Finally back from cleaning up it's mess, LES decided to skip patrolling for the rest of the day. These chores have taken it to the stable, warehouse, outskirts of town, and anywhere between already, so good enough for today. In the distance LES could see the woman waiting at the clinic, and Waltz going near "Good, she made it. Be a shame if she died so soon, hopefully she'l be unlucky enough to attract more bandits while I'm nearby, and I can thin out some more." LES decided to head into the tavern, thinking perhaps there could be some new yeomen he could contract. They'd already be looking for this big fish, Finch, but hopefully they could be persuaded by a much easier goal to achieve, even if it meant less money. From what LES saw as soon as it came in, the town was flush with yeomen "Jackpot!" The machine uttered, as if saying it under it's breath. Red bandanna, goggles, and that getup, most likely a... Lemonade? Probably doesn't want to impair their judgement. Smarter than usual. Bible thumper on the other end, definitely a bounty hunter. LES scanned the table for what he'd been drinking. Milk was an odd combination with liquor. And of course, Salty. Good militiaman, would most likely help without the extra money, but LES would rather he end up with it, anyway, if the money had to be given away. Wait a minute, Zack Hall.. THE Zack Hall? Surely the real thing couldn't be here but, his face matched up in LES's database as movie star Zack Hall. What was he doing here? Surely they weren't making new western movies on mars... LES would have to ask sometime, for logs, of course. LES noticed it had been essentially standing in the doorway all this time, and elected it had better sit down before warranting any more suspicion, or worse, attracting a bullet or two from the yeomen, who could technically be just as wanted as the people they hunt. LES sat down near Salty "Any good catches today, drunk and disorderlies, anything happening at all in town today, Atticus?" The machine said, ready to log any happenings before reporting in it's own run-in.

 

[Uncultured]

Quinn "The Vagrant" Turner​

"Ummmmm"

"Hmmmmmmmm"

"God damn it...... motherfucker"

"Where is it?" mumbled Quinn to himself, rummaging through his bag with turtle-like pace, his hungover and drug deprived hands lacking dexterity .

"Ha! Got it! Christmas is early for you!" exclaimed the vagrant, the chipper laugh forced and dry as his burrowing arm clasped one of several munition boxes at the base of his pack. Pulling the box from the bag he parsed three .44 caliber bullets into his palm before extending his prosthetic hand to the operator of the bus.

"If you don't have credits, you're not getting a ride" responded the operator, his tone emotionless and bureaucratic.

"You don't take bullets? Bullshit! Since when? I know you take bullets assh- said Quinn, his words interrupted not by the voice of the operator, but by the driver's hand, hovering over a large red button marked disturbance.

"Oh really! A disturbance? I'm a disturbance? You want to see disturbance asshole?" asked Quinn, his voice rising with each word in a building rage only the finest of hangovers could produce.

"If you have no credits you ca-"

"Bullshit, I've been here before, honest barter for honest ride" interrupted Quinn

"That's the red bird bus line sir not us we don-"

"Yeah yeah you take bullets, I know you take bullet-"

"We don't take bullets sir! Get off the bus!"

"Oh you're going to take bullets one way or the other asshole I'll make sure of that" said Quinn, his hand reaching towards his hip.

"Will you?" said the operator coyly, eyebrow raising, his index finger pressing the red disturbance button, his lips twitching into a smirk as a massive electromagnetic force propelled Quinn out the door of the bus and onto the ground fifteen feet to the side of the vehicle, thoroughly knocking the wind from the lungs of the wanderer, leaving him spread eagle on the red Martian earth as the bus peeled from the station towards the town of New Eden.

"Ouchy ouch, that looks like it hurt huh Quinn! You A-OK buddy?" asked a disembodied voice from Quinn's left side

"Yeah J it did, no need to rub it in" responded the wanderer to the AI inhabiting his cybernetic arm.

"Well! As ma and pa always said, when in doubt, tough it out! So what do you say buddy, lets blow this joint and walk it in! It's only four point two seven miles from here, we'll get there before you know it! Plus some cardio might do you good old pal!" exclaimed Joey in a motivational tone.

"You didn't have a mother, or a father Joe, you're an AI trapped in my left arm, an artificial construct created in a laboratory to be a pain in my ass. Get a grip on reality" grumbled the vagrant, raising himself off of the ground, breath returning.

"My ma also told me, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!" chimed Joe, his voice cheerful and upbeat, driving himself under the cynic's skin with his artificial enthusiasm.

"Yeah well, your ma and pa tell you how to get a ride with no money?" asked Quinn to his artificial friend.

"You could always kill a driver and take the vehicle!" exclaimed the AI.

"Since when were you the killing and thieving type?" asked a bemused Quinn.

"Just kidding Q, killing is bad!" quipped Joey in his friendly monotone.

"Yeah yeah" said Quinn, scanning the area for any options he could take. New eden was four miles away, no short distance in the wastes of Mars. Too many risks, too many raiders, too much uncertainty, however, it wasn't as if he had any other options, and as such, Quinn began to walk.

90 Minutes later
​

"What's your business here sir?" asked one of the militia members manning the northern entrance to the city.

"Bounty collection" answered Quinn gruffly.

"Yeoman or amateur?" asked the guard.

Quinn looked down at his rusted, outdated, and damaged armor, and his hip which lacked the identifier of a yeoman before tuning his gaze back at the leering face of the guard, who had better gear than Quinn.... as a militia member.

"Check the belt asshole?" chipped Quinn.

"Ok, ok, no need to get your head blown off chief, bounty collection is right down the main road" said the guard amused.

"Transit take bullets as payment?" asked Quinn.

"This is New Eden, not some backwater outer settlement, it's credits or you ca-"

"Yeah yeah I heard, you can't ride right?" interjected Quinn with a smirk and a nod, turning from the outpost to the main road, heading with pace to the bounty collection office.

Between him and the bounty collection office were a number of shops, eateries, homes of all kinds from personal palaces to tenement slums. From store windows sold robots for personal use, of any type, and exotic foods transported through the vacuum of space to be consumed by the unfortunate souls that called Mars home. Neon signs reminiscent of those found on earth flashed words in common tongue, and like the clockwork patterns of the neon signs, militia members darted to and fro, reporting to whatever disturbances were taking place in the mix mashed city of sold souls, broken dreams, outlaws and guns for hire. Interrupting his thoughts and observations, through the thin atmosphere of Mars, Quinn could make out gunfire, the minor concussive waves and vibrations on the air being telltales to the old veteran of the red planet, and with the subtle sounds of murder floating through the thin air, Quinn smiled. To him after all, it felt like home, the kind of place he could set up shop for a while as long as he didn't run out of opportunity and afoul of luck.

After continuing on, lost in thought for a pair of minutes, Quinn found himself at the door of the collection office. With his off hand he pressed a panel on the outer wall and the first door of the airlock came to life. Quinn stepped into the airlock and in roughly thirty seconds he stood face to face with the bounty collection officer, his helmet in one hand and the decapitated head of Reggie "The Claw" Samson in the other.

"You know.... uhh.... you don't need to bring the head of the bounty with ya..... we got bio metric scanners for sale..... we've had em for years" droned the old clerk in a Texan drawl, his beady eyes distressed at the sight of the mangled head and neck of the young criminal.

"I'm old school, like my analogue" growled Quinn, dropping the bleeding head onto the counter top with a thud, splashing a wide portion of the counter in the blood of the dead offender.

"See, I'm old school too..... Spent a lot of time on earth, moved out here a ways back.... I like my oldies, smokin' tobacco, paper files and beer when I can get it.... But that don't mean I'd bring the gad' damn head to the bounty office!" bemoaned the officer, white hair ruffling as his composure wore thin.

"I'm really, really old school" groaned Quinn, his parched throat producing a growling and unhealthy voice.

"Now I got to clean this shit up.... how long he been dead anyways?" asked the man behind the counter.

"Roughly seventy six hours sir! Sorry for my partner-

"Jesus what the hell!" exclaimed the collections officer, interrupting Joey mid sentence. "Did your arm just talk" continued the old man.

"You got a problem with my arm" growled the vagabond, his voice low and intimidating, leaning his body over the desk towards the clerk, inadvertently tilting the decapitated head onto its side exposing the bone and sinew to the darting eyes of the now perspiring collections officer.

"No" said the clerk simply, his voice betraying a layer of fear and apprehension.

"Good" replied the short tempered bounty hunter, returning back over the desk into a neutral stance.

After a moment of silence and with a mocking smile growing on his face, Quinn tilted the severed head back to an upright fashion, turning its dead eyes to the clerk.

"So, how much am I collecting today?" asked Quinn.

30 Minutes later
​

"A rip off, a god damned rip off, the poster in Temecula said two thousand, but nope! A thousand here, bullshit.... enough for drinks and a warm bed for a while though..... and bus fare" thought Quinn dryly as he stepped into the bar with the opening of the airlock. Quinn removed his helmet, surveying the arrangement of odd characters that could always be expected in a watering hole of Mars. With inspired speed he strode to the bar, sitting among the customers.

"So Joe, what drink should I get" asked Quinn to the AI his arm harbored.

"Milk! Get milk Quinn! It's good for your bones! And tastes mmhmmm good!" answered the bubbly AI.

"A white Russian then, good call J" said Quinn with a smirk, raising his hand to catch the attention of the bartender.

NemoTheSurvivor

 

[Funeral]

Zack Hall(No pictures please...........ok but just one)

"4,998.......4,999........and 5,000. Ok that's enough push-ups for now" Zack stands up. "That's enough warming up" Zack flexes his arms. "Erica, I got two tickets for tonight. Two tickets to the gun show" Zack kisses his right arm muscle and then his left while still flexing.
Zack reaches out for his 100lb dumbbell when he sees the DVD of his action film on the floor next to it, "Killing Is My Business, and Business Is Good". Zack instantly smiles, "Ah the movie where I won my 8th Award for. My favorite scene is when I take out the entire Clanton Gang with nothing but a horseshoe and my winning smile" Zack's smile slowly fades away.
"Here I am, Zack Hall. THE Zack Hall. I alone can save Mars and the good people in it, that are counting on me and look up to me. And here I am working out this perfect body. No more!" Zack stands back up.

"My angel Erica knows about the bounty. I will collect that bounty and everyone in New Eden Colony will erect a statue in my honor and perhaps even name this place Zack Hall Colony. But what pose should I do for the statue that they will erect for me? Perhaps the one where I- wait a minute. There's plenty of time for that later. I'm off to see my fiancée Erica and find out who Award Winning Action Star Zack Hall has to stop first"

A few moments later.................
Zack Hall arrives at the tavern

NemoTheSurvivor

 

[KStrausser]

"WALTZ"​

Even after what he had just witnessed, Waltz could not simply turn his back on a patient - figuratively speaking, of course, as physically, he already had. This, he would put down as a residue of his original programming, for he certainly was not doing it because he wanted to. He stopped just before the door, rounding on the control panel placed besides it. How did she even get inside anyways? "Miss Valentine," He began while checking over the security again, not quite daring to turning around and face the mess she had made of his medical station - One thing at a time. The place had been pristine before, all the blood notwithstanding. "I won't even bother to ask what you've gotten yourself into. Have a seat, or, better yet, just stay right where you are. I'll be with you in a moment" If Waltz could sigh, he would have.

Having steadied himself, Waltz turned to face the woman and the carnage. He was not any readier for it the second time. "Your arm, please" Preliminary medical scans - an inbuilt function of his optical sensors - showed no significant lasting damage; Lucy Valentine would live to break into his clinic another day. That was not what caught his eye, however. "Superficial injuries. Sub-dermal implants..." He trailed off. His sensors had also revealed what seemed to be implants embedded into the bone. Cybernetic augmentations were nothing new, but these models were unfamiliar to him - no model nor manufacturer. Illegal, perhaps? As far as he could tell, they did not do much or at all, frankly, which might raise more questions than answers. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about these, would you?"

Avari

 

[Uncultured]

Quinn "Deadbeat" Turner
​

"Will you be paying now or would you like to start a tab" said the levitating robot to Quinn who sat at the bar, his eyes fixated on the white Russian placed before him.

"Huh" replied Quinn in a fog, his mind not processing the words of Botsy, too busy thinking of the freshly poured drink before him and too scattered to maintain two trains of thought.

"Will you be paying now or would you like to start a ta-

"I'll start a tab, don't plan on leaving for a while" said Quinn, cutting off the robotic server in his gruff, deplorable voice.

"Of course sir" replied the robot, turning to leave.

"Wait!" exclaimed Quinn, giving pause to the movement of Botsy.

"Yes?" asked the bot, curiosity on its synthetic voice.

"This drink ain't watered down now is it?" asked Quinn, eyes squinting.

"Of course not sir, Touch of Home prides itself on the fines-

"Yeah yeah, the finest service..... not like you'd tell me, I guess I'll find out eh?" mocked Quinn, his rhetorical question drenched in sarcasm.

"If you have an issue with our service, please speak to our owner, she'd be happy to educate you on our standards" said the robot, a hint of sass in its voice despite the lack of outgoing personality.

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, Quinn is an unhappy camper, after a couple drinks that frown will turn upside down and you won't have to worry about any pesky questions like are the drinks watered down" chimed Joey to the robot, who now floated motionless, confused as to the multitude of voices coming from the same individual.

"That's Jay.... AI in my arm, thanks for the drink, I'll call you if I need anything" said Quinn, eager to down his first drink of the day.

"Of course" said the bot, turning with enthusiasm from the gritty customer.

"Wow isn't she something?" asked Joey wistfully, his voice intoxicated with a creepy, mechanical lust.

"A..... serving robot?" mused Quinn sarcastically, eyes squinting with bewilderment.

"No Quinn, not any serving robot, that's a misses serving robot, one with anti-grav units!" exclaimed Joey.

"Are you... nevermind" grunted Quinn with a chuckle before grabbing his drink.

"And I said milk Quinn, not whatever that is" chided the AI, shaming Quinn for his poor diet.

"It is milk.... well.... milk and vodka" remarked the vagrant with a raised brow, tipping back the glass and taking three large gulps.

Placing down the drink on the surface of the bar with a satisfied sigh, Quinn's peripheral vision registered a large figure from the staircase to his rear right hand side. With caution not to stare, and potentially start some kind of encounter, Quinn glanced at the direction of the man. ( Funeral )

"He's a big fucker aint he, have to clip him from range if it ever came to it" thought Quinn to himself, turning his head back to the bar.

"Ooooh, oooh Quinn, do you know who that is!" exclaimed Joey, with considerable volume.

"No, I don't, and I don't care" said Quinn sardonically, taking another swig from his now dangerously low glass.

"That's Zach Hall! The movie star! He's the real deal! The bees knees! The Cat's Pajamas! The elephant's inste-

"Who?" inquired Quinn confused, taking the rest of his drink in one prolonged gulp, the kind only the most veteran of alcoholics could execute.

"Zach Hall! The movie star! Everyone knows him! He's the biggest around!" exclaimed Joey, his voice louder than usual, an attempt to attract the movie star to Quinn.

"Stop that shit you sick fuck, I know what yo-

"Hey"

"No"

"God damn it Ja-

"You Mother fucker"

"Joe you better sto-

"Mr. Hall! I'm a big fan! Any chance you could sign my servos!" yelled Joey his bubbly voice carrying with the volume to turn every head in the building. To top it off, the AI had taken agency over the arm it inhabited, raising himself above the head of Quinn to attract even more attention than what would've been achieved through vocals alone. With the ire of a tornado, Quinn leered at his outstretched arm with an exasperated exhalation, knowing that he had now attracted every eye in the bar, and perhaps that of the "movie star" as well.

Funeral

 

[Funeral]

Zack Hall(Zack's smile..........I can just get lost in that smile forever)

Zack Hall's assistant/biographer(he never bothered learning his name) stands at the doorway.
"Ladies and gentlemen,
Zack Hall is about to enter the room. He has asked for no flash photography and lines for autographs will start at this corner *he points to the left hand side of the tavern*

Zack Hall enters the tavern and smiles, "No need to adjust your eyesight. Yes it I, Zack Hall" he says. "Thank you for the introduction.......... you" he says waving off his assistant/biographer.

No later then when Zack arrives he hears a familiar sound. The voice of a hysterical fan.
"Just like on Earth. No matter what planet, star, galaxy, or solar system Zack Hall is in, there are the shouts and screams of Zack's adoring fans".
He smiles and approaches the man sitting at the table having a drink.
"Greetings friend. I know what you're thinking, yes I am even more handsome in person and yes, Zack Hall always makes times for his fans. Unless I'm talking to a super model who is at least half as beautiful as me(which is incredibly rare). So an autograph you seek? Sure my Martian Zack Hall fan but first let me regale you with a story, a story of one of my many famous and heroic exploits. Actually we're going to be here for awhile. *Zack calls one of the server bots* Martian Zack Hall fan, drinks are one me. *He sits down next to Quinn and begins* So there I was, in the Sahara Desert shooting my movie "The Adventures of The Handsome Stranger" when a rattlesnake comes out. As big as an Anaconda, the only rattlesnake on record at that size and it has never been seen since. Everyone around me panicked. The director tells me "Zack just step back slowly" and I said "Hey, I'm Zack Hall. I'M the king of the desert baby" so I got into my dueling stance. Eyeing the beast, our eyes locked on to each other. He slithers towards me. He then leans back, getting ready to lunge at me. But I beat him to it, I lunge at him first and take him out. Hey, I'm Zack Hall" he smiles.

Zack Hall calls clears his throat ready to begin the next story...................

Uncultured

 

[Avari]

LUCY VALENTINE

THE CLINIC

"ah..." Lucy replied after a moment, looking oddly wistful. She took a moment to rub her left hand over the arm in question, perhaps self consciously.

"Mostly... Regret, darling."

She took a moment to grab the near empty bottle of whiskey she had left on the floor during her inspection, looked as if she was going to offer Waltz a drink before remembering he was a robot and instead took a thoughtful sip herself.

"Speaking of history... how are the memory issues? You know a pool is being run at The Touch of Home for what your past could entail? It's quite the delight of the local gamblers."

She looked up at the stained ceiling of the clinic, as she searched her memory.

"There were good 2 to 1 odds that you're actually an assassin Droid, and 20 to 1 you're some sort of... Sex robot. 500 to 1 that you're actually a cyborg and were once a human doctor who wished to be immortal."

A pause. She gave him a sly wink. "I'm rather fond of the second idea. Though the first is definitely exciting."

Then Lucy smiled. She was actually rather fond of Waltz. True, he was just a machine ultimately - a mind of ones and zeroes - but she always found his presence oddly comforting." Though honestly darling I love you just the way you are. We should both look to the future, rather than delve into potentially painful pasts...do you not agree?"


-----

INTERACTION: KStrausser

 

[Uncultured]

"You've got to be kidding me" thought Quinn as the large man came to his spot at the bar, drawn by the voice of Joey who had finally lowered himself to the bar, restoring Quinn's control over his cybernetic limb. After sitting beside the Vagrant, the large man began massaging his own ego, going on about his looks, fame, something about supermodels and autographs before regaling Quinn with a story about a chance encounter with a rattlesnake during a film shoot.

What a dangerous tale that is.... a rattlesnake.... king of the desert too.... this guy believes his own mythology thought Quinn with a healthy dose of sarcasm as the actor wrapped up his tale.

"Look.... uhhh.... Zach.... I've never seen your films.... don't care to, no offense... not a cinema guy" said Quinn gruffly.

"Jay's the one that called ya, AI in my prosthet-

"Joey aka "Jay Zero Three Four" security AI and public safety monitor at attention! You're the real deal, Zach Hall! No impostor, I've seen all your films!" exclaimed Joey, the voice emanating from Quinn's cybernetic arm, cutting off the vagabond's words.

"Yeah, this guy, loves your movies apparently, not a chance in hell your signing my arm though" said Quinn with a slight chuckle to punctuate.

He did say drinks on him.... thought Quinn with a ghost of a smile.

"Hey Botsy, I'll take a bottle, bottom shelf of your cheapest liquor" barked Quinn in his guttural English to the server bot that Zach had signaled.

"What brings you to Mars Zach? Business? Come to see the sights? Running from the law? Or just to meet the wonderful people dotting the cosmic landfill?" asked Quinn, gesturing at the shady characters in the bar, the server returning as he spoke with an unmarked bottle of horrid, bottom shelf liquor, more suited for machine consumption than human, placing a pair of glasses on the table, one of which Quinn filled to the brim with the amber rocket fuel.

Funeral

 

[Funeral]

"Well Martian Zack Hall fan, I call you that because even though you haven't seen my movies, you became a fan of me anyways as soon as I entered through those doors" he says. "Have you ever been in love, felt the warmth of the sunset at first dawn's light, eaten your favorite meal after 10 days without eating, or had a child with the women you love? Well, all of my movies are better than all those things combined. Don't worry Martian Zack Hall fan, after I defeat all the hooligans and evil doers of Mars......... yourself, your wise friend Joey, and Zack Hall will have a Zack Hall movie marathon. I brought all my films with me of course" he says.

Zack notices Martian Zack Hall fan drinking like a fish out of water. "He's probably nervous sitting down to The Zack Hall, sometimes I forget how much larger than life I am" he thinks to himself.

"Martian Zack Hall fan, I am here because only Zack Hall, the star of such films as "Take No Prisoners, Stop! Let Me Fix My Hair Before I Kill You" and many other films, can stop the bad guys, win the girl, and bring peace to Mars. But more importantly and above all else, the name Zack Hall will be as big on Mars as it is on Earth" he says with a smile.

Zack Hall motions for someone.

"This is my biographer, you see that giant, stacked book he has? His sole purpose is to follow and take notes of Zack Hall's adventures on Mars so they can make a movie for it later. I've only been here for less than a day and he's already written over 200 pages worth of my qualities and heroic deeds. You......... whatever your name is, read to me what you've written so far." Zack commands.

The biographer opens the book and begins, "The amazing Zack Hall's first destination is the local tavern where all the action happens.
Zack enters through the door and all the guests and patrons inside "Ooooooooooohhh and ahhhhhhhh" at the imposing sight of such a man. The bar owner Erica throws herself at Zack's feet, "You've come to rescue us haven't you? Our prayers have been answered, thank you so much for coming. Will you marry me?"
Zack Hall, all 6 foot 6 of him, looks down at the woman and reaches out his hand slowly picking her up, "I am but a humble man. Sure I've saved countless settlements, towns, and even countries, but I do for it the people, I never brag about myself. The people that can't stand up for themselves, the people that are scared, and don't have the gifts that I was born with. You will never meet anyone more humble than your friend Zack Hall" and then Erica faints in Zack's giant, muscled arms and all the patrons and guests of the tavern put down their drinks and surround Zack and sing a song that they all instantly came up with on the spot, "Wonderful, they call him Mr. Wonderful, you know he is so wonderful, and he knows it too"

"And it's all true, that's exactly how it happened" Zack smiles. "I predict the movie about my adventures on Mars will win me my 34th Award"

Zack stands up, "So now Martian Zack Hall fan, I await for the owner of the bar for she has the bounty and information I need. Don't worry, when I make my movie, there will be a scene where I approached a certain Martian Zack Hall fan in a tavern *he winks* and changed his life forever."

Uncultured NemoTheSurvivor

 

[NemoTheSurvivor]

Erica Branton

"Of course," Erica said to the man. "Rooms are 15 credits a night. You can pay upfront or just add it to your bar tab. Tab is paid at the end of the month, by the way. Don't skip out, or you'll find yourself on the wrong end of a bounty." She smiled. "Speaking of bounties, the only bounty I have is for a man named Finch. Augmented criminal who robbed the wrong caravan. Though, last time I checked, he was supposed to be taken care of." She checked a datascreen behind the bar. "Apparently not. Lucy must've failed. I hope she's alright." She turned back towards her patrons. "In that case, I'd suggest holding off. Finch'll be on alert for a while. Plus, you can ask Lucy if she'll spill on what she knows. She's a sucker for gambling, if you don't mind strip poker." She laughed. "Or maybe you could just pay her." She got the distinct feeling Zack was talking about her again, but brushed the feeling off and prayed to whoever might be listening he wouldn't come up to the bar.

capMARVELOUS The_Omega_Effect Funeral

*****

Jenna Branton

After Waltz left, Jenna went into the back and started tinkering with the rifle. "Computer, talk to me about this weapon."

"This weapon appears to be custom made, with parts from various weapon manufacturers," the computer said. "If there is a way to identify the weaponsmith who made this, it is nontraditional and I cannot find it."

"Understood," Jenna said as she pulled out her tools. "Play 'Workshop mix 3'. And rescan all that data from Waltz. See if there's anything that can be reconstructed."

"Understood." Loud music started blaring in the workshop (which could not be heard from the bar, due to a rather sizeable investment in soundproofing), and Jenna quickly got lost in her work.

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

Zer0

The room price was actually pretty nice and affordable. Zero would immediately get a room had it not been for the fact that the wanna be superstar among other idiots would be staying in the building with him. He drank the rest of his lemonade and placed the glass back on the counter, with him fixing his bandana after he took out the straw. Standing up, he scanned the room once more to see some more faces that he had rather not seen. A robot sitting next to the guy drinking whisky who seemed to be a robot with artificial intelligence, a guy with a mechanical hand who was oddly a fan of Zack and a guy with a huge book who seemed to be writing and reading constantly. Him being this close to Zack explained why he looked like he wouldn't survive a day out there.

Zero crossed his arms as he listened to the barmaid, with him wanting to know more about this bounty she was giving. As he had anticipated, it was this Finch guy, the big crime boss. His interest grew at how she mentioned that he was supposed to be taken care of, indicating that there was a person who went after him already. The availability of the bounty showed that this person failed in taking care of the big guy. He crossed his arms and growled at hearing this, with him knowing that it would now be impossible to get a clear shot on the guy, with him being all paranoid. His earlier suspicions of him not being able to take care of this guy himself were confirmed, much to his dismay. The barmaid then mentioned the name of the person who went after Finch, with her suggesting that they should find her in order to get more information. He nodded and spoke up "And where can this Lucy person be found?"

Would he mind paying for the information? Of course not. It was clearly not about the money at this point. It was about the feeling of killing on its own. Taking a life and then walking away without anybody knowing that it was you was a great feeling, one that he enjoyed thoroughly. If he were to work with others, he still had to take some money though, as otherwise, he would not appear to be a good assassin. People tended to link high quality with a higher price tag.

 

[Locomotive]

Atticus "Salty" Sprea

Salty finished his glass and stood up. Despite the impressive volume that he had consumed, he barely swayed. He wondered if, when he stopped drinking, the collective hangover would kill him. The activity in the room had just picked up a direction, forming an arrow pointed squarely at Finch. He silently eyed the two men at the bar. Fuck. They, combined with the famous hothead upstairs, were a lot of firepower. Lit stick of dynamite, indeed. Finch was the biggest issue that this sleepy little colony suffered from, and he had little doubt that if there was ever a time to attempt to land him, that this was it. Nonetheless, he would prefer to have as few casualties and as little property damage as possible.

It was getting harder and harder to discern exactly how many potential people were going to get wrapped up in Mr. Finch. He was just about to stand up to introduce himself when he saw his favorite Swat Bot roll in. LES was built like a walking tank and he thanked God for its presence at this moment. He waited patiently as LES found its way to him, the powerful servos that moved its armored limbs humming contentedly. He had seen LES push a man through a wall as if it had been made of tissue paper.

"No drunk and disorderlies, LES...unless you meant me." Salty spoke as the heavy machine sank into the seat next to him. He shifted so that the bot could see his screen, its green eyes illuminated his weathered face lightly while displayed what he'd learned. "Major disturbance in one of Finch's many 'abandoned' warehouses. I'm assuming you had something to do with that, or else it wouldn't have shown up in the blotter here." Atticus gulped down another mouthful of whiskey, the extra running down his gray, stubbled chin. "I'm also guessing the slimy cockroach slipped away," He turned seriously to LES. "What the fuck happened over there? It's not like you to barrel into a situation like that on your own. Well...it is, but not quite so recklessly. Who else was there? We need to find them and get a handle on all of this."

He motioned to the ever-expanding theater of the rejected and hungry that was playing out before them. "This is getting big. The shit is hitting the proverbial fan yesterday. We need to make a move on this or else everyone is going to charge into this at the same time, trying to collect the whole bounty, and our sleepy little colony is going to suffer for it." He removed his hat, revealing a receding hairline that was neatly trimmed, despite the somewhat shabby appearance of the militiaman's clothes. He silently cursed whoever had gone after Finch alone. He wanted the motherfucker mummifying in a Martian tomb now. He wanted fucking done with it.

"This is going to turn into a fucking war."

Sarah Bear

 

[Sarah Bear]

LES waited for a bit before answering Atticus' question about the 'disturbance'. "There was a civilian, name of Lucy, got banged up, gunfight was already going on when I crashed the gambling ring. She Should be fine now, let her off the hook, there's not much evidence she was directly involved anyway, other than the incompetence of your general bandit. And yes, Finch, unfortunately, got away. Didn't recognize him at first or I would have focused more on him... Oh, and don't worry about bodies, but there may be a stain or two left for some poor bastard in maintenance. Lucy was with Waltz last I saw" LES knew it had said too much already, and didn't want to plainly say she was at the clinic, LES may not have specialized in stealth, subterfuge, or subtlety but knew when saying too much could cost lives.

"I more see potential allies, rather than enemies, salty. These people are needing a break, for the most part. At least two of these people are bounty hunters, to, so they speak money. Luckily, I found a bit of a bonus on some of the bandits."

LES turned slowly to Atticus as he spoke about how bleak things were. Honestly he was right, things were swelling way too large for just a few militiamen to handle, inside the bar and outside of it. Fuck it, they needed help with this, and if the gov wasn't going to provide arms, manpower, or bravado, then someone had to provide it. "War, Atticus? Then we can use any soldiers we can get. See if you can convince goggles or hothead to side with the law, but keep Zack out of it. We can't risk a VIP on someone as low as Finch, but if he wants to join up, we can use all the support we can get. that way we can minimize collateral and manpower required for this... War." If things didn't go right and Finch didn't get destroyed soon, war would be a most appropriate term, but if everyone acted quickly, hopefully that could be just paranoia.

"You, yeoman, with the book. If you're after Finch, I could offer you an extra 500 credits in exchange for your services with the militiamen. no strings attached, if you get the kill, you still get the previously decided bounty, so just think of what I can offer as a small bonus. You'll also have a hell of a lot more help than going at it alone, and Finch has plenty of bodies around, if our intel is correct. Are you in for some extra credits with this bounty?"