[center][h3]Chapter Two[/h3][/center] [center][h1][color=00a99d]Just a Small Universal Community Conflict[/color][/h1][/center] [hr] [@Doc Doctor] [@Dartbored Fairy] "OOF!" The bullet strikes Madot Square in face of the mask. It doesn't penetrate, however - though it fragments on impact - but the force of the blow crushes Madots nose and sends him down on his back as he squeezes his own trigger. The Quantum rifle releases a high-pitched whoosh and a circular energy pulse that narrowly misses Donny's head, and instead strikes the first floor wall of the Station behind him. The impact of the energy pulse blows a 6 foot hole in the wall as particles of dust and brick explode both in and out from the building with a massive boom. Madot lies stunned on his back for a moment as tears caused from his broken nose cloud his vision. Meanwhile, Communications officer Cas - reacting purely on impulsive instinct - draws his Quantum rifle as he takes a leap backwards from Donny. Mid-air, he squeezes his trigger as well - but since he really didn't believe in killing anything unless absolutely necessary - his own rifle is set to stun. A crack like that of a whip is heard as a blade of yellow light grazed Donny's shoulder. In the following instant, Lieutenant Shard realizes what was happening and starts screaming at the top of her lungs while literally running in circles. The 50,000 volts (26 watt) charged stun-shot from Cas's rifle - had it hit Donny directly - would have been enough to bring a man his size to the ground for a minute or two. But since it only grazes his shoulder, it would at the very least stun Donny enough to confuse and disorientate him for few seconds. A few seconds, of course, is all Cas needs to land on his feet and take a better aim at Donny while, in a struggle to get his bearings, Madot scrabbles from the ground, frantically trying to find a target through his deluge of tears, which in his desperation to defend his own life, causes him to fire his rifle at the first moving object he sees, Hida. Simultaneously, Cas takes his second shot at Donny's torso. [hr] [@Dartbored Fairy] Fanny smiled ever so politely while Pirila said her piece, but in the closing of her words, Fanny's expression suddenly becomes serious. At the speed that would have seemed humanly impossible, she drops her beer and lunges at both Mili and Pirila, tackling them both to the floor and landing on top of them just as the blast from Madot's weapon blew a 6 foot hole in the wall of the room. Dust and debris explodes out across the room and rains on top of them while Fanny shelters their faces with her body. As the dust begins to settle and lieutenant Shard can now be heard screaming outside, Fanny wastes no time in removing herself from on top of the two girls, dusting herself off before offering them a hand up from the floor. "Are you two alright? ...Man, I can't believe they made me spill my beer." [hr] [@Zyngard] As Cuna makes his way to the stairs leading to the first floor where Pirila had headed earlier, the explosion upstairs sounded through the Station Hall, followed by the words "Take cover, Fuck You!" as a heavy force strikes Cuna from behind, bringing him down face-first on the stairs. In the dying of the blast, and realizing he acted a little hasty, Dino lifts himself fast off of Cuna. "I must apologize, Fuck You" He says, removing his riffle from the holster," But one can never be too careful on an alien planet filled with barbar – " Dino was cut off by the sound of Lieutenant Shard’s creaming outside. He turns fast and heads for the door, raising his rifle and switching its setting to Sonic Pulse. [hr] [@Quote5][@CmdrAlfieq] "Well never mind then." Fanny tells Ernest. "You'll see what I mean by Cat and Mouse soon enough." She then smiles warmly for the repair pod as he waddles out of the room. It is now that the computer terminal comes alive with a response from MASGC Space Headquarters. Fanny listens quietly with Ernest until the transmission ends, then puckers her lips in an amused yet mischievous fashion. "Well then..." She can't help but laugh a little, despite the circumstances. "We don't want to be branded as cowardice insolence's, now do we, Ernest? I guess we better go make the commanders acquaintance." Tapping into navigational controls - likely against Ernest's permission once again - she add's; "You're up, Erny. I'll set in a course that will land us closer of their headquarters. You should get on the horn and let the commander know we're only a few minutes away." She finishes her beer with a few quick chugs and sets the empty bottle on the floor at her feet, then waits for Ernest to finish transmitting the message to MASGC Headquarters. "I could really do with another beer..." She says, and hits the button to send them into Hyper-drive.... [hr] [@Quote5] While Rorod and the Factory Head start their work on the new schedule, a 20 mile long torpedo-shaped spaceship drops out of Transit-Drive just off the Starboard bow of Rodia and glides to a halt. Within seconds Rodia is seized be a tractor beam from the unknown vessel before Ramrod, supposedly sitting in his office, vanishes. In the following instant, Ramrod finds himself in a large metallic and door-less room. On one side of the room, high up on the wall, is a view screen of sorts, though at this time no image is being displayed. It's just a blank, black screen. But Ramrod doesn't seem to be entirely alone. Although he can see no one else, a thunderous voice that seems to come from every direction shakes the room: "You are a unique life form. You have been added to our treasure. You are ours. Your R-core unites will be made to service our civilization." Back on Rodia, it will probably be only a matter of time before the various R-Core unites become aware of Ramrods absence by internal sensors, or maybe by Rorod who decides to burst into his office to find Ramrod isn't there. Either way, Rodia continued to be seized by the tractor beam from the alien vessel as it slips into transit-drive again, dragging Rodia along with it. [hr] [@Oh no my soup] [h3]Propulsions Are Us[/h3] was the name of the fuel stop, or rather a 15,000 square mile mobile space station equipped to cater to all manner of vessel form city ships to one man crafts. As Magnus draws closer, he receives a cheerful audio hail from the station: “Hi there, I’m Doug, and welcome to Propulsions Are Us! Please power down all weapons and any other system that may be deemed hazardous to life. Please proceed to docking bay 13, 469, 277-59687-B, and be careful not scratch the pain work on your way in. Nuclear fusion is on special today, along with various other forms of fuel. We also have a wide variety of food outlets in the central Mess Hall, with cuisines from all over the Universe, so feel free to fuel that hungry belly of yours as well. Enjoy your stay!” As the transmission terminates, docking bay 13, 469, 277-59687-B opens up to allow the pineapple ship entry. [hr] [@GingerBoi123] Fanny appears genuinely intrigued by Damien’s story, shown by widening of her eyes and several licks of her lip. When he’s done, the waitress returns with their order. Fanny cracks open her beer and chugs down the whole lot as though her life depends on it, finishing just in time to ask the waitress for a second before she even had a chance to walk away from the table. “So that’s why don’t remember you too well,” She confirms, “hell just isn’t a place I frequent. That Lucifer guy, he really has it in for me. But anyway….” Leaning back in her chair, she props up her glasses once more and gives Damien big, genuine smile. “My names Fanny, Fanny May. Right now I’m just an average working class girl in an average working class world; a book keeper for a law firm a few blocks from here. But you know what, I’ve really been fanging for an adventure. So how about I come along with you - just you and me - on this more than slightly bizarre crusade of yours?” She slams her hand down on the table to signify that she means business. “What do ya say, you up for some working-class girl company?!” Just then, before Damien even had chance to respond, their attention is stolen by a heavy commotion out on the street. Armageddon had arrived in that very moment. Pedestrians start screaming and running for their lives as cars started smashing into one another; no doubt an effect caused by the fact that the earth started shaking and the whole of the sky burst into flames. Massive billowing tongues of fire lap down upon the city. The people burst into flames, vehicles ignite, the concrete structures begin to melt, while just a few feet away from their table inside the café, the air itself appeared to rupture, opening a fissure to darkness beyond. “I guess that’s our cue!” Fanny says, as she rises from her seat and apprehensively steps towards the fissure. She then stops, looks back at Damien suspiciously, saying; "Is this yours?" As she's waiting for a response from Damien, the firestorm outside breaches the interior of the cafe. The windows explode as the flames swirl in towards her. There in that suspended moment in time, she appears to not know what to do and looks to Damien for answers. She either enters the fissure to her [i]possible[/i] doom, or be consumed without doubt by the fast approaching flames. Regardless of whether or not she's that stupid or maybe just testing him, there is but an instant before the flames would consume her. [hr] [@Scorpionius] Fanny loves Malcolm; such a well-spoken prim, so calm and collective despite being lost in time and space, utterly separated from the world he knew. Everything about him kept a smile on her face as they continues on their somewhat restrained though reckless journey through the city streets. Soon they arrive at a large, concrete factory-style building near the edge of the city. A billboard above the building reads “Lift Off” in flashing neon lights, though the effect is a little dull in broad daylight. Fanny pulls into the drive and honks the horn, gaining the attention of whoever was inside. After a minute of waiting, a time in which Malcolm was probably getting curios as to what this place was, the massive hangar doors in front of them open. From the outside, Malcolm can likely see rows of allocated bays inside. Each parking bay is big enough to keep vehicles up to the size of industrial excavators, and are manned by a few assigned workers, all of them dressed similarly in grey lab coats; the geeky looking mechanic kind with their fancy equipment. Each bay is also labelled with a sign indicating the type of adjustment or maintenance each bay is for. Some of these labels include, but are not limited to: Terrestrial Modifications and Repairs, Aero Modifications and Repairs, Spatial Modifications and Repairs, Temporal Modifications and Repairs, Quantum Modifications and Repairs. If Malcolm chooses to enter, he will have his pick from any one of these bays. “You have the honor.” Fanny tells him still smiling, clearing her feet from the pedals and removing her hands from the gearstick and wheel. “And don’t you worry. These guys are the best at what they do, they won’t change what you look like or who you are. I’d never let that happen to you. The choice is yours.”