[hider=Title of the Recording: Definitions 00076]
“Des-per-a-tion. Noun. A state of despair, typically one that results in rash or extreme behavior. Example: My excuse for joining up with Lazlo was sheer desperation.”[/hider]

Ryen wanted to jump out of her skin as the ring leader’s face got within inches of her own. She was suddenly aware how much bigger and stronger he was and it was all too clear her actions hadn’t put him into a good mood. But she didn’t step back and she didn’t look away.

[b]”That’s enough of that, [i]miss[/i].”[/b]

Ryen swallowed hard as she felt the blood drain from every part of her face but her cheeks. She was embarrassed about her desperate attempt for approval. Even if she needed to go off world, it did not excuse her childish behavior. She knew better. Her own inner turmoil affected her more than the stranger’s words ever could have. Instead of seeing how her companions reacted to the AI incident, Ryen studied the sealed concrete under her boots.

She could feel the ring leaders gaze rake across her, as he took in the mechanics. Yet her eyes remained lowered. [i]”Maybe I should just leave?”[/i] Ryen thought worrying at her lip. [i]”Obviously he’s not going to pick me. I’m just wasting time here.”[/i] Nevertheless, what little dignity she still currently possessed rooted her to the spot. 

Time seemed to stretch endlessly although no more than a few minutes had passed. Even without looking up, Ryen could feel the crowd at her back was getting restless. Feet shuffled anxiously, claws clicked together, murmurs became angry rumbles. Even she couldn’t help fidget, shifting weight between her legs.

Without warning something slammed into her side, making her stumble. Ryen whipped her head around just in time to see a Roxrell barreling towards the ship’s main entrance. Beside her, Dr. Perthel yelled in protest. The crowd began to push forward, eager to see what was about to happen next.

[b]“I’m getting out of here!”[/b]

Ryen opened her mouth, intended to add her voice to the protests. It never came. As quickly as the creature ran forward, it sped in the opposite direction, a sickening crunch the only explanation for its maneuver. It toppled over a few feet from where she was standing, one blue, horse-like foot trapped under the green whale-like torso of its body. Its mouth hung open in agony, double rows of flat incisors flexing in the wind for all to see.

Ryen turned her attention back to the ring leader just in time to see him brushing off the solider. Her brows furrowed as she looked between him and the wounded Roxrell on the ground. It was clear he’d done something… something brutal. When she looked back at him, she found he was walking closer, any pretense of calm now vanished from his features.

Unconsciously, Ryen stepped back at his approach. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as instinct told her to run. But the murmurs of the crowds grew louder, words of various alien languages forming an unending hum, like an angry hive. She could almost feel the heat of their anger. Ryen didn’t have to turn around to know they were edging closer.

His piercing eyes studied her as if they were trying to seep in and read her deepest thoughts. Ryen shuddered under the scrutiny and let go of a breath she didn’t know she was holding when he gaze turned to the other prodigy. A few moments later his eyes changed their focus, studying something behind them.

In the blink of an eye, his weight shifted and he stepped towards her. His hand, warm and firm, clamped down on her upper arm. [b]” Welcome aboard, sunshine.”[/b]

[b]”I’m not your…”[/b] but her words were lost in the roar as she was practically drug towards his ship. Behind her she could hear the other mechanics protesting the decision. Dr. Perthel reached out to pull on the girl’s hair as she passed but fortunately caught only a few red strands. Her escort turned his attention back to the crowd as they walked and Ryen followed his gaze. 

Her mouth went dry when she saw metal flash in the skylights. A couple of aliens in the crowds were brandishing weapons. They weren’t really going to shoot, were they? Where was the dock patrol when you need them. This is getting out of hand! But she knew. Most of them were probably either off for the holiday or patrolling through the shopping areas. [b]”Damn it!”[/b] she cursed. A small niggling in her brain reminder her about the danger of her real situation. Maybe these gun waving aliens weren’t your average travelers, maybe they had somehow tracked her from the apartment? 

Another glint of metal shone off the pistol in the ring leader’s hand. A deafening pop rang in her ears as he emptied a round into the gathered crowd. Was it her imagination or had something just screamed in agony. Not wanting to look, Ryen buried her face in her free arm, all the while still being drug closer and closer to the ship. 

Suddenly people were standing around her as the ship’s outer metal door slid together. For a heart stopping moment, an alien from the crowd rushed towards them before the air lock was completely in place. The young woman turned away, expecting the impact to come. If the thing really had been desperate enough to charge at the closing doors, the sliding panels would have split its body in two. And if that were the case, she didn’t want to witness it.

Ryen only looked up after the airlock’s tell-tale click echoed through the small chamber. Thankfully no bits, alien or otherwise, littered the floor. The room was almost silent in comparison. She let out a sigh of relief and found she wasn’t the only one.

A dull pounding noise from outside reminded the crew that they weren’t out of the hot water yet. Ryen rubbed her right arm, the one the ring leader had used to pull her from the crowd. Now that her nerves were calming down the little minor throb was starting to bloom into a vengeful ache.

[b]”Glad you made it, kid,”[/b] she felt her hair being mussed up by the solider behind her.

[b]”Me too,”[/b] she whispered back.

[b]”Alright… If I give a command, it is to be followed exactly as I say it. Any insolence or insubordination will be severely punished. IS THIS CLEAR?”[/b]

Was it clear? As clear as glass. As clear as the Peruviant sky. If it hadn’t been clear by the way the man had selected his crew, treated the Roxrell, or shot into the crowd, it was irrefutably clear now. Ryen was on a ship with a brutal dictator. If not for the continued noises from outside, she would have considered jumping ship, but that possibility was now lost.

The solider recovered from shocking speech first. [b]”Sir, yes, sir. Uh, captain.”[/b] he said, offering Lazlo a salute. The poor technician stuttered her assent. The woman looked like she was going to fall on the floor, right here and now. The doctor just nodded after reach down and picking up his dropped cigarette. 

[b]”Fine.”[/b] The word came out of Ryen as a soft exhale. It didn’t sound quiet as placating as it ought. Fortunately the AI’s announcement saved her from whatever wrath the captain would bring down on her head, or so she hoped.

[b]”Notice: Unauthorized hull maintenance detected. Activating level-one hull shielding.”[/b]

[b]”Can we leave?”[/b] Ryen suggested, still cradling her arm. [b]”Soon. Please. Captain?[/b] The last word was tacked on at the end. As if to answer her question, the hazard door slid open and Ryen slipped through to the main hull. [b]”I’m going to go to the shielding subsystem panel. We don’t want to lose it all before we breach the atmosphere.”[/b] Most ships had two panels to control the ship’s shielding. The first, and main one, was in the cockpit, but she didn’t want to be in the captain’s way, nor did she want to be around him anymore than necessary. The second would be in the shielding subsystem itself. 

The air inside this hallway had a sterile feel to it, like it’d stayed clean for too long. A few doors down she located the center elevator and took it to the middle floor where she was hoping she could find the correct control panel. Unfortunately the glass doors didn’t close fast enough and the doctor managed to squeeze in. He didn’t say anything, just subbed his spent cig against the elevator’s metal door frame. Ryen glared over at the man. 

A chime announced they were on the next floor and Ryen stepped out into the eerily impersonal corridor. The man, thankfully, only followed her as far as the threshold. Leaning back against the wall, he reached into his lab coat pocket and pulled another cigarette from its case. 

[b]”Level-one hull shielding at 75 percent and dropping. Evasive maneuvers recommended.”[/b]

Ryen looked down both sides of the corridor. She wasn’t familiar with the layout of the ship and the rooms weren’t as clearly labeled as she would have liked. 

[b]”Ship!”[/b] she called into the air.

[b]"Yes, [i]mechanic[/i]"?"[/b] The female voice almost sounded snippy.

 [b]”I need to locate the control panel for the shielding substation.”[/b] Ryen called.

[b]”Three doors down on your left.”[/b]

She found the panel soon enough. Red words across the top of the screen indicated the shielding was holding steady at 67 percent. Ryen cursed under her breath and preyed Lazlo was getting ready for take-off at this very moment.

[b]”You know,”[/b] the doctor said, taking in another drag, [b]”I figured the shields would do better.”[/b]

[b]”This is different,”[/b] Ryen said and shook her head, [b]”The shields are designed for large impacts like asteroids and missiles or they have the ability to diffuse a single large charge over an even larger space, like when the ship gets hit by a laser rifle. The shields weren’t designed to be pounded on by a bunch of angry aliens.”[/b]

Carefully she unlatched the pack across her back and set it at her feet. Pain lanced through her right arm as she reached for the control screen. Sweat beaded off her brow as Ryen entered an override code and began scrolling through various maintenance sections. Like many of the processes on the ship, the shields were usually powered by excess turbines on the ship’s engines. Nevertheless, the shields could easily obtain power from the energy reserves. She swiped her fingers across again and cursed, although this time it wasn’t from pain.

[b]”Ship. The reactor core is only showing fifteen percent. What the hell is going on?”[/b] The pain of her arm on top of a growing sense of panic was putting her on edge.

[b]”The core is warming up.”[/b]

[b]”Warming up? Since when do uranium-tri oxide cores need to warm up?”[/b]

[b]”The first time they are turned on.”[/b]

Ryen’s mouth formed a small ‘o’ at the AIs response. She had guessed this ship was new. She hadn’t known it was that new. [b]”Is that all, [i]mechanic[/i]?”[/b] There went that snippy town again.

[b]”Yes, Ship.”[/b]

For the moment there was not much else she could do besides hope that their captain was all but ready with his preparations. Given enough time and energy, the hull shielding could repair itself. Feeling emotionally exhausted, Ryen slumped to the floor right beside the panel.

[b]”Seems to be pretty difficult.”[/b] This came from the doctor who, the woman suspected, had been watching her the whole time. 

[b]”Don’t you have anything better to do?”[/b] she spat.

[b]”I suppose,”[/b] he walked over to her and kneeled down. Before Ryen knew what was going on, he was touching her, his strong hands planted on her right elbow, the other on her shoulder. Only a few words of protest escaped Ryen’s mouth as a dizzying pain lanced through her arm. Then, just as suddenly it felt much better. Satisfied with his work, he released her and began ruffling through his pockets. After pulling out a few metal objects he finally produced a lime green sucker wrapped in clear plastic. 

He handed the object to Ryen and patted her on the head, eyes full of amusement. [b]”Try not to dislocate that again. Okay?”[/b]