Had some inspiration.
“God, I hate the PR goons. Do you know the wash out rate doubled in the months they started the Veilwatchers series? Still, it sells like drugs to a junkie.”
“Yeah, I’ve been around the place a few times. I was a wide-eyed newbie when we dropped on Scheherazade-4, shattered my left femur while holding off the bugs. Yep, got to see the Cap get ripped up and the General reprise. It’s mostly titanium and bio-plastic now; that was before the regen tech got off the ground, even the thaumotech. I’ve had the limp ever since. I got out of physio a couple of months later and transferred to Survey.”
“What else? You seriously want to know? When was your lunch? Right then. Lost my right arm, torn off keeping some kids alive even if I scarred them for life with all the blood. Their medic managed to put it back on after all the new suns faded away, at least there are some Beebees who don’t think we’re all tomb robbers. Left eye got replaced after Ghost, again after Runner-2, AGAIN after Steel-19…oh right, it’s Seed-1 now. Ribs rebuilt after Blaze-1, right foot replaced after Blaze-2, skin replaced on 40% of my body after Blaze-3, right foot again AND lower leg after Faust-1. Didn’t get to dance on the bitches grave, which was a downer. Not that there was anything left of her, and it’d be impolite to the real one. Fucking Beard Nates.”
“You can stop cringing now. There’s a reason Helljumpers have hardsuits and the Marines use heavy armoured suits. The multiverse is an uncaring bitch, and delights on showing us how she doesn’t even notice the ants scurrying about.”
“Good side? Bondi always has good memories. Heliopolis was so damn interesting I transferred to the ground team for the full three month planetary survey. Lucifer-27, yeah its weird but stopping the Second Wave was worth it man.”
“The Excelsior? Yeah she’s pretty. Tricked out better than a Bond Car. Yes, I have one. She’ll point out to the stubborn part of the Beebees and the groundpounders that we know what we’re doing.”
“Me? Hahaha…wait, you’re serious? I ain’t anywhere near the list. Arthritis has me grounded permanently. Oh, maybe the Academy for UNSAD or Illuminatus for everyone else. The Labs? I doubt it, not as much a brain as them.”
“Oh them? Problem of being in this business this long, you make friends. Not-so-friends. People who’d piss on your grave, but respect you. What’s it say about you lot if they all want their pound of flesh?”
“Yeah, the Embassy DOES have a lot to say. Toodles, and I’ll be sending the bill for the whisky to them. And this round, you got a tab system for the guys who have to move him? Cool.”
“Cheers.”
***
UNSAD – United Nations Space Administration Directorate: The supra-governmental organisation with the mandate to control Mobian expansion into space.
Nates – Short for Alternates. ‘Alts’ is used for very similar timelines. ‘Nates’ is used for differing versions of people.
Beard Nates – Alternates of people who are ‘Evil’, compared to others generally encountered. Your Mileage May Vary, and all that.
Illuminatus - Illuminatus University, Mobius sponsored University to pass on knowledge gained from Sidestepping.
“God, I hate the PR goons. Do you know the wash out rate doubled in the months they started the Veilwatchers series? Still, it sells like drugs to a junkie.”
“Yeah, I’ve been around the place a few times. I was a wide-eyed newbie when we dropped on Scheherazade-4, shattered my left femur while holding off the bugs. Yep, got to see the Cap get ripped up and the General reprise. It’s mostly titanium and bio-plastic now; that was before the regen tech got off the ground, even the thaumotech. I’ve had the limp ever since. I got out of physio a couple of months later and transferred to Survey.”
“What else? You seriously want to know? When was your lunch? Right then. Lost my right arm, torn off keeping some kids alive even if I scarred them for life with all the blood. Their medic managed to put it back on after all the new suns faded away, at least there are some Beebees who don’t think we’re all tomb robbers. Left eye got replaced after Ghost, again after Runner-2, AGAIN after Steel-19…oh right, it’s Seed-1 now. Ribs rebuilt after Blaze-1, right foot replaced after Blaze-2, skin replaced on 40% of my body after Blaze-3, right foot again AND lower leg after Faust-1. Didn’t get to dance on the bitches grave, which was a downer. Not that there was anything left of her, and it’d be impolite to the real one. Fucking Beard Nates.”
“You can stop cringing now. There’s a reason Helljumpers have hardsuits and the Marines use heavy armoured suits. The multiverse is an uncaring bitch, and delights on showing us how she doesn’t even notice the ants scurrying about.”
“Good side? Bondi always has good memories. Heliopolis was so damn interesting I transferred to the ground team for the full three month planetary survey. Lucifer-27, yeah its weird but stopping the Second Wave was worth it man.”
“The Excelsior? Yeah she’s pretty. Tricked out better than a Bond Car. Yes, I have one. She’ll point out to the stubborn part of the Beebees and the groundpounders that we know what we’re doing.”
“Me? Hahaha…wait, you’re serious? I ain’t anywhere near the list. Arthritis has me grounded permanently. Oh, maybe the Academy for UNSAD or Illuminatus for everyone else. The Labs? I doubt it, not as much a brain as them.”
“Oh them? Problem of being in this business this long, you make friends. Not-so-friends. People who’d piss on your grave, but respect you. What’s it say about you lot if they all want their pound of flesh?”
“Yeah, the Embassy DOES have a lot to say. Toodles, and I’ll be sending the bill for the whisky to them. And this round, you got a tab system for the guys who have to move him? Cool.”
“Cheers.”
***
UNSAD – United Nations Space Administration Directorate: The supra-governmental organisation with the mandate to control Mobian expansion into space.
Nates – Short for Alternates. ‘Alts’ is used for very similar timelines. ‘Nates’ is used for differing versions of people.
Beard Nates – Alternates of people who are ‘Evil’, compared to others generally encountered. Your Mileage May Vary, and all that.
Illuminatus - Illuminatus University, Mobius sponsored University to pass on knowledge gained from Sidestepping.