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| Episode 2 - Aside 1; Carter City, Greenleaf | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 14 2012, 01:35 AM (8,034 Views) | |
| Bartolomeo Columbo | Jun 7 2012, 09:19 AM Post #46 |
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7/27/09 Bartolomeo saw Roland as he carried Clare. His eyes moved quickly to Melody, who still held the obvious weapon. They narrowed with a cold click, then he rushed ahead of Roland to the medical bay. He passed Mary and Denns in the outer area of the Med Bay. His motion did not slow, though he gave a look to them. "Here." He indicated to Roland pointing at the obvious med table. "Hold onto you ass, the inertia drives ain't gonna ... " The ship lurched as the accelleration could be felt despite the artificial gravity and inertia drive protections. "... ah, well, little ruttin' late there... sorry." There was a click as Janet shut off the all comm. A unit of blood was hung on the pole. Where a few minutes ago blood had dripped into the arm of Mary Galenus, now it dripped down the throat of Clare. Barto squeezed the unit so that it quickly emptied down Clare's throat. The tag on the blood was clear and distinct, 'b.columbo' with a date and several other numbers. His fingers lightly touched the sword wound, it looked like one on a dead body. Severe and no bleeding. And unlike Clare's usual wounds, no sign of healing. |
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| Melody Malone | Jun 7 2012, 09:21 AM Post #47 |
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7/27/09 It had been dark and cold in the water, but Melody could not care about that. She could only care about the Demon. She had seen the trail of Hell Fire that trickled from the woman Clare had held. Melody had seen the trail end at Clare. The other woman trashed about as water took the place of oxygen in her lungs. She died well before The Sword of Seamus pulled Melody's sinews and muscles into a powerful thrust, plunging the blade through the back of Clare just as the Demon had taken full control. Steel and blood exploded through Clare's chest and out the front. Ribs had broken and had to have punctured several organs. Melody had felt .... nothing. Not even the chill of the water, or the thrill of the hunt. It was like taking out the garbage. That was not like her, yet, she didn't care about that either. Once the deed was done, Melody pulled the sword from the body and wrapped her arm around Clare. She swam to the surface and hauled both of them onto the ramp of the Nox. She tried to explain what had happened, but all she could do was say that Clare had been possessed and now was not. The demon had "died" Melody looked down at the clean glinting steel blade and only saw Clare's blood drip from it instead of sea water. She felt a long and low loathing for the thing that had taken her. Still, she did not let it go. She made it to her room before the ship lurched and she hit her head. With a moan, blackness claimed her. |
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| Roland de Bordeaux | Jun 7 2012, 09:21 AM Post #48 |
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7/28/09 "What...what does this mean?" said Roland gazing closely at Clare's wounds. "Her wounds should be able to heal themselves, right?" He steadied himself as the ship lurched. The engines fired to life as the Nox took off rapidly. He held onto the operating table which prevented him from falling over. However, Melody was not so lucky and fell to the floor in mid-explanation as she tried to convey what had happened to Clare. As Roland adjusted to the ship's speed, he knelt over Melody and gently picked her up. "Melody," he said as he placed her in a nearby chair. "Melody! The women of this ship seem to be dropping like flies, so don't add to the list of casualties please." Looking at Clare he said to Bartolomeo , "Will Clare survive?" |
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| Bartolomeo Columbo | Jun 7 2012, 09:23 AM Post #49 |
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8/1/09 "Normally." He tilted his head at the ironic choice of that word. "yes. She should be healinng. The sword though, is a weapon of a certain, I guess Holy perspective. Not aligned with the spiritual nature of vampirism." Bartolomeo walked across the med bay and took a small dark wood box from a simple secret panel in the wall. "But she will survive." His voice was absolute in certainty and faith. He returned with it to Clare's side. "So a remedy opposite of the light of the sword." Bartolomeo opened the box with a press and a twist, some sort of secret combination. Inside a tiny fleshy black chunk of flesh quivered. It was black and oily. "Is in order." Barto took a scalpel and cut into the palm of his hand, leaned over the box and spoke in long dead language, "Vixoklotika." and then several click from his throat. The fleshy dark matter started beating, slow, then slightly faster. Professor Columbo of the 33rd Degree of the Gnostic Illuminati grasped the ancient heart of the undead dragon fetus and quickly moved to hold it over Clare's wound. His hand made a fist and squeezed. There seemed no undue effort, nothing supernatural. A few drops of darker than normal blood dripped into Clare's open wound. A sizzling sound, a small whisp of steam and smoke rose and then Clare body convulsed. Not in pain or agony but a moment of rapture. The entire wound grew dark blackish red, and began to seal itself up. Her body almost jackknifed in the tremor of an orgasm. She caught herself with an arm behind her and remain inclined upright. The wound was healed, Bartolomeo quickly dropped the flesh into the box and shut it. A look at his hand, he held it out, revealed a long black scar where he had made the cut. Clare took the hand and pulled up against her breast. "I've never felt so powerful." She said. Bartolomeo Columbo nodded, as though he was not the least bit surprised. He turned his attentions to the others in need of medical attention. |
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| Mary Galenus | Jun 7 2012, 09:26 AM Post #50 |
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8/3/09 Mary didn't know where Denns had gone so she decided to take it upon herself to get back to her room. She was still reeling from the pain she was experiencing, but it had faded just a bit. Slowly, she crawled up to the stairs, each one a struggle. When she got to the top of the stairs, she knew she was going to have to stand up. Counting steps to get to her bunk had to be completed in the standing position, she never measured how many crawls it would take. But for the time being she was going to rest and try to center herself. She reached for the rosary beads in her pocket. |
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| Nancy Nox | Jun 7 2012, 09:28 AM Post #51 |
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8/3/09 Pepper, Melody and Mary all felt it. Something sinking in their gut. The ship's walls and floor and ceiling seems to close it, to weaken. In their own way, they sense that their spaceship home has lost something. Janet called through on the shipwide. "Couple hours to our next stop. Lookin' like New Tortuga, so put on yor criminal gansta look." ________________________________________ Bartolomeo assisted the others in medical help. As he was just finishing up, Roland heard the voice in his head. He wasn't certain how, but he knew Majordomo heard it too. "They must go. Columbo and the Vampire. He has brought a darkness on the ship and it is no longer protected. Their time here is over. Put them off the ship." Majordomo looked at Roland first then at Barto. "I know." Bartolomeo said. "It was Black Magik, or at least akin to it. I kept it hidden from her in the box. And I used it." He looked back toward Clare, now sitting up at the table. She eyed Barto with wanton bloodseeking lust. "I've darkened our souls for good now, but she lives." Bartolomeo smiled, "well, you know what I mean." "We'll get off and help the best we can on Tortuga," he looked toward Roland, "if you'll have our help. Then we'll stay behind." |
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| Roland de Bordeaux | Jun 7 2012, 09:29 AM Post #52 |
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8/3/09
"It was necessary," said Roland nodding in agreement. He knew that the alternative was letting Clare die but he could not help but wonder what other darkness Barto dabbled in. He wondered if his agreement was in itself a taint on his soul. He nodded in silent agreement to the words in his head. Though he had no wish to see Clare die he knew that consorting with fell powers was a road to damnation. He was already damned and had no wish to be doubly-so.
"Very well," he said. He did not know if Clare heard the voice as well but she appeared not to protest Barto's offer to stay on Tortuga. "Please get some rest. Let me know if you need any help." |
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| Pepper Anderson | Jun 7 2012, 09:30 AM Post #53 |
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8/4/09 Pepper had lost track of what was going on the instant Barto had started rabbiting on about the mixture of blood he's pumped into Mary. Though it wasn't just the doctor's spiel that had gotten her turned around. As Barto had bent over, feeling Clare's pain, Pepper had felt something that wasn't connected to her as well. She couldn't give it a name though. It felt... it felt kind of like a house fire that had lost its footing. That moment when it got too big for its chosen food source and started to tumble in on itself, extinguishing bits and pieces of itself on its way down. Her recent, brief forays into deeper power had left her with a little more ability to know her own level than she'd had before. Just enough that she knew, for all it felt like her fire, it wasn't hers tumbling in and fading in the process. She didn't know what it was. She just knew she felt... fuzzy. Then Melody had scrambled from the water dragging Clare's limp form. That added to Pepper's confusion and in her muddled state it took longer than it should have for her to realise the demon had wormed its way into Clare only to be flushed out again by Melody. Another moment later and she realised even a Vampire had some trouble over coming Melody's sword's kill everything nature. And then Barto was doing weird things, Melody was unconscious, Clare was back among the living - sort of - and Barto and Clare were leaving? "My head hurts." Grumbled Pepper, mostly to herself. One thing was clear though; Mary was in a lot more pain than her and was also the only one Pepper could do anything for at the moment. "Hey Mary, promise not to do any mojo on me and I'll get you to your room. Though I think you should still be in the med bay." It was not the most gracious offer, but Pepper did her best to sound friendly, despite how muddled she was feeling. She hoped Mary would somehow know it wasn't personal. Pepper made a mental note to clarify that to the woman at some point. 'It's not you, it's your power...' Now there was a conversation two people didn't have everyday. |
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| Mary Galenus | Jun 7 2012, 09:33 AM Post #54 |
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8/4/09 "Hey Mary, promise not to do any mojo on me and I'll get you to your room. Though I think you should still be in the med bay." Mojo? Mary thought. She didn't even think she could muster up the energy to even try. "I won't," Mary assured Pepper. "I would probably have stayed back in the med bay, but I need to get to the Codex. I need to know if what Barto did to me is going to affect me long term. He gave me a transfusion that contained Clare's blood." Mary squeezed Pepper's hand. "People have been turned doing things like that," Mary said with distinct fear etched on her face. "I won't... I can't become a vampire." Mary wasn't so much afraid of the vampire aspect, but rather the taint of darkness that would forever become a part of her. The realization of the very real possibility shook Mary to her core. She couldn't let darkness touch her. Not again. "It would... I would be dangerous to you and everyone on this ship," Mary related to Pepper. "If it comes to that, I need you to promise me something... You need to keep me from losing control. By any means neccessary." Mary doubled over in pain, rolling onto her side on the floor. "Promise me?" she pleaded through clenched teeth. "Please?" |
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| Roland de Bordeaux | Jun 7 2012, 09:34 AM Post #55 |
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8/10/09
At that moment Roland stepped in where Mary was in the midst of an emotional state. Hesitating, fearing that he heard too much he pretended not to hear Mary's outburst. "Mary, I thought *I* was supposed to be the morose and depressed one," he said trying to achieve some ease in the tension. "Forgive me for not seeing you sooner. I wanted to see how you were. We've all been through a trying time." "How do you feel?" he said, realizing that the question seemed idiotic and out of place. |
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| Mary Galenus | Jun 7 2012, 09:36 AM Post #56 |
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8/10/09 How do you feel? Mary looked up at him. Sensing Pepper was taken off guard by her statement and uneasy about her mojo, she turned to Roland. "Can you get me to my room?" she asked. "I need to consult the Codex. Find out what is going on with me." She looked up at him. "Please? I'm not sure if I can walk." She wanted to curl up into a little ball. Her blood was on fire and her head was pounding. She was surprised that she hadn't just plain passed out, but Mary was strong. |
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| Roland de Bordeaux | Jun 7 2012, 09:37 AM Post #57 |
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8/10/09 "I can certainly assist you," he replied, putting his arm around her and helping her to her feet. "I'm sure that whatever Barto put into you was done with only the purest intentions," he said realizing how hollow his words sounded. "I'm sure that's...something?" "Perhaps you can tell me a bit about this Codex. I have lived a long time and have heard of many things. The ancient texts and legends are not a mystery to me. Perhaps I can help you find what you seek?" |
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| Mary Galenus | Jun 7 2012, 09:38 AM Post #58 |
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8/10/09 "I'm sure that whatever Barto put into you was done with only the purest intentions. I'm sure that's...something?" "I'm sure he meant well," Mary said as she gripped Roland's arm as another wave of pain washed over her. "But people have been turned by receiving transfusions from a vampire. He said it was safe, but I just want to make sure." "Perhaps you can tell me a bit about this Codex. I have lived a long time and have heard of many things. The ancient texts and legends are not a mystery to me. Perhaps I can help you find what you seek?" Mary smiled at the thought that Roland could help her find out what she needed. He obviously didn't know about the Cimmerian Codex. You didn't have to search for information, it showed her what she needed to know. Roland guided her to her bunk hatch and helped her down. She struggled to pull the Codex out of it's place, but once she touched it, the pain from what Bartolomeo gave her diminished greatly. That helped to calm her tremendously. She sat down on the floor in the middle of the rug she prayed on and laid the book in front of her. Motioning for Roland to join her, he sat down opposite her. "This is the Cimmerian Codex," she said as she opened it. |
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| Nancy Nox | Jun 7 2012, 09:39 AM Post #59 |
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8/11/09 There is nothing about the blood of vampires. Nothing to that which she specifically seeks. The Cimmerian Codex leads Mary down through the ages. A long line of people, the names mean nothing to her. If she called them out, Roland would recognized them as previous lives. Poetry across those ages: a foot in hell, a foot in heaven, Condemned and Resurrected, Damned and Forgiven, Children of the Day and of the Night. Those in the middle, they choose the future, they make the future. Pulled by all sides, only those from all sides can change fate. There are short descriptions of various historical ages, ancient, recent; both from Earth-that-Was and the 'Verse. The River Styx, the Steamboat Nancy Nox, the gathering of lost souls unable to cross and unable to return; they drift down the river towards a tunnel. The boat stops next to another. Larger is the only description. It guards the tunnel against evil, it opens the gate for the evil. Contradiction. Someone on the Nancy Nox has the key. Protect the ship, destroy the ship. Save the verse or curse it to the demons. The choice is not revealed. The method is not provided. ________________________________________ Nancy Nox continued on. A short Hard Burn and then a sudden pull from it. The ship never strayed far from Greenleaf. It soared into the atmosphere of the largest of the moons of Greenleaf, Tars Tarkas. Per the instructions of Melody, via the information from the Sword... somewhere on the moon is a demon, somewhere along the thousands of miles of the lone narrow sea. There are few habitable places. The long sea is a frequent pick up for ships that want to scoop of it's clean clear crystal blue water. The research sites, the secret little corporate strongholds along the shores. A few rich folks have enclaves here. An another. Totuga. "Hey Knobby, get your list of parts'n such." She paused. "everyone else, you ain't gonna believe where we're goin'" ________________________________________ Bartolomeo knocked on Melody's door. "Do you need assistance?" Clare is behind him, her arms around him. "It's ok Melody. You had to do what is in your nature." Her arms are around Barto, her fingers dig softly into his chest. "We all do." Then she slipped away with a wisp. Her voice sang softly in the ship, a very old song, with a few different words... "I'm in the mood for love, simply because you're near me; Funny but when you're near me, I'm in the mood for love. Heaven was in your eyes, no longer the stars we're under, Oh, is it any wonder, I'm in the mood for blood. Why stop to think of whether this little dream might fade, We´ve put our hearts together - now we are one, I'm not afraid. If there's a cloud above, if it should rain, we'll let it. But for tonight forget it, I'm in the mood for love." |
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| Roland de Bordeaux | Jun 7 2012, 09:40 AM Post #60 |
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8/11/09 Roland looked alongside Mary as she consulted the arcane tome. It was ancient but well-preserved given its age. It seemed to be penned in many languages as Roland looked at it, doubting his own perception. The names were ones he recognized. Old names, each persona inside him crying out in recognition as the near-forgotten words came to them. Old selves, phantoms, parts of a greater whole now that sometimes drove Roland to madness as they joined in a chorus of cacophany each vying for his attention, offering advice and perspective on each situation he found himself in. "What you must do is..." "Madness, sheer madness..." "I don' ; t savent ce que les autres chose mais moi..." ĦMuere, muere mi amor! "Tell me Mary," he said, blocking out the voices. "What is it you seek in this book? I feel I should recognize it, but I cannot recall where." |
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