Re: [STORY/open] The Fall of Crystal Osaka
08-15-2007, 11:16 PM (This post was last modified: 09-18-2017, 04:50 PM by robkelk. Edit Reason: formatting fix )
08-15-2007, 11:16 PM (This post was last modified: 09-18-2017, 04:50 PM by robkelk. Edit Reason: formatting fix )
Yuri came back in and secured the door.
"How bad is it?"
"Very bad, and getting worse, Leda. The explosions were man-made."
"We're under attack? Any idea who's doing it?"
Yuri hesitated. "No."
"This isn't the time to keep secrets, Yuri! Who are they?"
"You don't want to know."
"I have to know! They might kill us!"
"They won't kill you ... or maybe they will, because you're here. I guess I'd better come clean. They're part of a Columbian drug cartel, growing thionite here for the Earth market."
Leda gaped at Yuri for a moment. "How the hell do you know that?"
"Because I'm part of a Yakuza clan that's trying to grab their business."
One of the invaders spoke into a two-way radio. "Mr. de Leon, we've made it to the yak processing plant."
"Why are you telling me you've done what I told you to do? Destroy it!"
"You're what?"
Yuri started to cry. "I knew you'd react that way... I didn't want you to hate me. That's why I said you didn't want to know..."
"How many others are part of your gang? Tell me, Yuri!"
"I can't."
"Tell me!" The electricity dancing around Leda's hands started to arc visibly. She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, and both she and the electricity calmed down. "Don't make me angry, Yuri. We'll both suffer if I'm angry."
"All right. There's at least four dozen of us in the city."
"Four dozen? That's almost a tenth of Crystal Osaka's entire population!"
"I know. I'm sorry, Leda - I didn't want you to know."
There was another series of explosions outside the lab, closer than the last two.
"I don't want to know. But now that I do know, I have to tell someone."
"Please, don't! If anyone finds out I told you about this, they'll kill me!"
"Yuri ..." Leda hugged her companion. "I must." Then she moved her hand up to Yuri's neck, and shocked her into unconsciousness.
There was another explosion outside, closer still.
Leda pulled out her cellphone. I remember seeing his ship in our dock this morning. I hope he's still within range.
As the Epsilon Blade approached Crystal Osaka, Noah's cellphone rang. "What the hell?" He looked at the display. "Ms. Swansen? Why's she calling me?"
Yayoi double-checked her display. "Noah, that call's coming from inside Crystal Osaka."
"I'd better take it, then."
Three minutes later, Noah was using the ship's interwave set to report in to Operation Great Justice.
--
Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007
"How bad is it?"
"Very bad, and getting worse, Leda. The explosions were man-made."
"We're under attack? Any idea who's doing it?"
Yuri hesitated. "No."
"This isn't the time to keep secrets, Yuri! Who are they?"
"You don't want to know."
"I have to know! They might kill us!"
"They won't kill you ... or maybe they will, because you're here. I guess I'd better come clean. They're part of a Columbian drug cartel, growing thionite here for the Earth market."
Leda gaped at Yuri for a moment. "How the hell do you know that?"
"Because I'm part of a Yakuza clan that's trying to grab their business."
One of the invaders spoke into a two-way radio. "Mr. de Leon, we've made it to the yak processing plant."
"Why are you telling me you've done what I told you to do? Destroy it!"
"You're what?"
Yuri started to cry. "I knew you'd react that way... I didn't want you to hate me. That's why I said you didn't want to know..."
"How many others are part of your gang? Tell me, Yuri!"
"I can't."
"Tell me!" The electricity dancing around Leda's hands started to arc visibly. She took a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, and both she and the electricity calmed down. "Don't make me angry, Yuri. We'll both suffer if I'm angry."
"All right. There's at least four dozen of us in the city."
"Four dozen? That's almost a tenth of Crystal Osaka's entire population!"
"I know. I'm sorry, Leda - I didn't want you to know."
There was another series of explosions outside the lab, closer than the last two.
"I don't want to know. But now that I do know, I have to tell someone."
"Please, don't! If anyone finds out I told you about this, they'll kill me!"
"Yuri ..." Leda hugged her companion. "I must." Then she moved her hand up to Yuri's neck, and shocked her into unconsciousness.
There was another explosion outside, closer still.
Leda pulled out her cellphone. I remember seeing his ship in our dock this morning. I hope he's still within range.
As the Epsilon Blade approached Crystal Osaka, Noah's cellphone rang. "What the hell?" He looked at the display. "Ms. Swansen? Why's she calling me?"
Yayoi double-checked her display. "Noah, that call's coming from inside Crystal Osaka."
"I'd better take it, then."
Three minutes later, Noah was using the ship's interwave set to report in to Operation Great Justice.
--
Rob Kelk
"Read Or Die: not so much a title as a way of life." - Justin Palmer, 6 June 2007