Jacob awoke in his home high in the canopy of a kinona tree. The large green leaves shading him from the morning sun. Jacob stretched out and looked down to see the base was now safe and his pursuers were gone. That was the last time he would do a job for the sanctum. Sitting up on the four foot wide branch Jacob could see for miles. His body needed more heat, compelling him to walk out to the end of the branch exposing himself to the full sun.

There he stood feeling the warmth fuel his body his tail swayed softly in the breeze. His scales turning to match the the green leaves around him from the brown they once were. He could see the city of Capeia. It stood out form the prairie landscape and farm fields to the east. One of the few stone and steel structures left standing from the day of the past. When the ancients worked their techno powers on the world.

After a second to scent the air he climbed the 60 feet down to the forests floor. The eyes of his ancestors expanded as his tongue darted through the air for danger. The scales became a darker green to match the forests floor. He unburried his backpack and headed to the city. their had to be work for a person of his unique talents.

The sun was warm and helps his muscles become more fluid in their motions. Staying away from the main roads meant safety for a single traveler. The high grass was also an aide to Jacobs people. To them it just felt more natural. Even at his distance to the city his tongue darted out more and more. Feeding him images of food and the different types of people he would meet inside the cities walls. His legs unconsciously move a little quicker.

Now closer Jacob could see the crowd gathered at the cities entrance. Merchants mostly with carts and wagons selling their wares outside the cities walls, and away from the tax. What the merchants loose in price they almost make up for in being spared the tax. Walking past the carts and the crowd Jacob walked up to the guards. He reached to his side pouch and watched the guards grip their weapons a little tighter. Pulling out a few gold slips he handed them to the guards and they let him enter.

Jacob began to feel cold. The hallway was barely lit and was descending into the ground. There were a few addition guards standing in the shadows whispering to each other. The hallway led to the center chamber where more guards wearing armor protected the center machine. at the controls stood an ancient. At least parts of one.

The ancient are machines with A.I. that use to control a vast network of cities and portals to other worlds. now after the thousand year war they are found and integrated into small subsystems essential for travel or security. This one was only a head on a third of a torso. And even at this state of damage It was still a force to be respected. The wires connected the system to the head and most of the torso to the portal generator system. The head alone was larger then Jacobs whole body. The one blue optic looked down at him. In a robot voice "Destination confirmed. Power o-optimal. Ready for t-t-transport. Initializing sequence, engage." The center generated a blue beam and widened into a oval. Jacob hated this. Every drop of his blood screamed for him to run. He took a breath and jumped into the portal.

The fall was what made him sick. Not the swirling vortex of energy around him or the loss of gravity. He dry heaved as he landed on all fours. As the area around him stopped spinning he sat on his legs and waited for his stomach to give the OK to stand. Getting to his feet, he looked around the place it was just as he remembered it. Floating among the clouds the steel floor and the steel walls made the place feel like a cage to Jacob. Still it was the best place to get hired on to a crew.

"What do you mean 20 credits?" Sung wasn't in the mood to play the docking guilds game today. She had to get replacements and keep her ship in repairs. The last year was tougher then she anticipated. Sung knew where the piece was. And this year the temple wouldn't stop her this year. She just didn't anticipate the lower levels being flooded and killing that last raid party. The pressure seals obviously were broken or maybe the water found a way in through the ventilation systems. That would force her to get a lizard. They were always in high demand because so few wanted to leave during the floods. They knew their ability to breathe water and swim made them valuable commodities. It meant one less enviro suit to buy. Reptilian's also only needed to eat twice a month. Shaking the current thought from her mind, she turned her attention back to the docking cheif. "You're gonna tell me why I should pay you an extra fifteen credits to dock. Otherwise you're about to have a gust of wind that looks a lot like me, throw you off the ramp!" Crossing her arms in front of her while flattening her ears to the back. Her eyes narrowed.

The wolf took a look over his shoulder at the open sky beneath him, and decided this captain was the wrong one to scam. "I don't know what you're getting mad at. It's five credits to dock just like everyone else. You don't like it, fine. We can go to the port boss and you can try your little mean face there." He held out his credit clip.

The captain twitched her tail in irritation. She pulled a pay chip from her pocket and paid the five credits. Without a word she left the dock heading toward the center of the hub. She just hoped the reptilian wasn't as munch of a hack as the dock hand was. She had seven new faces to hire and she was already out of patience for today. Sung's ears stayed flat as she walked to Joe's.

Joe's, was the place where if you needed muscle without the brains to betray you, then you came here. Posing as a restaurant. Lots of fresh meat showed up here because they didn't know about its reputation. The other experienced mercs knew to stay away from here. Mercenaries with a fair amount of reputation built up went to the ships at the docks, and hired there, by the captains directly. Joe's however, was the type of place where the captains paid Joe to recruit new bodies by drugging them, then transport the sleeping recruits to their ship. Many a mercs first time was involuntary employment, thanks in a large part, by Joe.

As Sung walked in she made eye contact with Joe. He was still every bit of muscle and mean as she remembered. Those horns on his head had there uses too. She walked up and sat at the end of the bar close to the door. Joe took a step leaned over and smiled. His one cybernetic eye dimmed a golden glow. "Get you a drink miss?"

"Ha-ha. Very cute Joe." He shrugged. Sung leaned in close. "Need some of the usual and a reptile. Seven total. Get em by tonight and I give you some more cred. I'm really close this time I can taste it." Joe chuckled. Then nodded as the golden goose came in. He was young and by the look of him, so new it was almost criminal. Joe fixed up a drink and passed it to her.

"Drinks are on lady luck tonight!" He pointed at Sung and the crowd cheered. The waitress went out with the new round after a smirk.

"Dumb bastards." Sung thought. She took the drink and sat at the table with the reptile. She slide the drink to him and undid the top of her suit a little. Softening her eyes she smiles like a wolf. "Hey handsome looking for work are you?" She heard the crack of thunder below the city. It was about to get wet.

Jacob took the drink to be polite and drank half of it. It was good and sweet. "Yes I'm trying to get onto a ship." He took another drink. "This is good what do you call it?" His eyes started to roll and his arms got really heavy.

"Its a good night kiss, handsome. Welcome aboard..." She laughed as he hit the floor.

The creaking of the hull was soft and deep. The room was dark but the light under the door gave just enough for his low light vision to work. The room was all metal no window and only one thick metal door. His head felt like the world rested on it. In the distance he could hear the rain. He laid there on the floor listening to everything around him. The rain was strong and the ship fought against the down pour. Why hadn't the captain gone higher to escape it? He wondered. The sounds of foot steps came to the door of the cell. In the porthole Jacob could see a blue eye staring back at him. Sitting up he smiled and waved at her.

"Welcome aboard the Queen Martyr." The hydraulic bolt on the door slid open and the door swung inward. "You're free to leave the ship at any time." She smirked. "However unless you can fly, its a long way down. You work, you eat. You do as you're told and you do it when you are told." She crossed her arms and looked at him with a tilted head. He was still smiling at her and made no aggressive move. She rolled her eyes, and with her index finger motioned for him to follow her. She wore a wet suit and mag boots. The rains were in full swing this year.

They moved to the hatch topside as the door opened the water hit his skin. Instantly he felt even better. This was his first rain and his biology adapted to it easily. The deck looked like it was being besieged by waves. The water crashed against the ship causing it to shift again to port. Jacob looked up at the helm and the robot gently rocked her back to center. "This rain is gonna last two weeks but I don't feel any hate in her. We'll be fine." He looked shocked for a second realizing his words and the truth in them. Even in his first rain he could tell the weather. He looked at her to see her give a smirk.

She chose right. "Get up in the lookout and stay there. If it changes use the come to the helmsmen." She gave him a slap on the back for incentive. He moved as if he was born in this. She shook her head dismissing the thought and took a walk about inside the ship. The other ones needed to get assigned their duties as well and her money was on them not liking it as much as Jacob had.

Jacob climbed to the top of the mast and looked out with his tongue. His eyes were worthless even more so in the rain under the water membrane now covering them. His body was the sensor he could tell the weather change before it happened. On a ship like this they needed it. his skin was his own wet suit and the pads on his feet became slightly sticky with the moisture.

The ship was just over a hundred feet in length and twenty feet wide. It had three solar masts but only one engine. Five decks two being on top as part of the helm and three below deck with no life boats or emergency equipment. Everything said this was a converted light cruiser, if only Jacob knew any of that. They good for short trips and cargo drops but they were moving deeper into the storm.

Down below Jacob could see another one of the crew. They were wearing a wet suit so he couldn't see exactly who they were. Whoever it was was a large imposing figure and was adjusting one of the sensor clusters near the bow of the ship. The rain and wind did little to move the figure below. After a few moments of laying flat and using some tools to make the adjustments the figure got up and walked back to the hatch to get below deck. He sighed and used his tail to stay put in his spot as the wind almost got Jacob off guard. He could see the clouds above him. They were so close to him.

He shut his eyes and dove to the small metal plate under his feet. Crack! The sound of thunder echoed in his chest. He opened his eyes and more flashes of thunder. Jacobs tongue flicked out and sent him the warning. "Danger." Grabbing at the com panel receiver. He shouted. Nothing. He pointed up and shouted some more. No reply.

In a robotic voice, "Press the button on the mic. ...Dumb ass."
"...and I don't like this anymore! This flashing is dangerous I want to get down and we should get underground now!"

"Relax your grounded. You will be fine as long as you stay put."

"I want off, down, now! I'm.."

"You're not going anywhere. Take a breath and tell me will it get worse or better?" She looked up at him, or where he should be. All the rain against the window made it nearly impossible to see him. The clouds were dark as night. It was far too soon to loose this reptile. There was just too much before he could leave!

**Closed**