Carmelita Bandita

//[[YOUR NAME IS CARMELITA MAL BRUJA.]]//

//YOU LEAN UP AGAINST THE LOOSE FENCE POST, PULLING THE TOOTHPICK FROM BETWEEN YOUR LIPS TO TWIRL IT BETWEEN YOUR FINGERS. OUT BEFORE YOU IS A SEEMINGLY BARREN DESERT FULL OF RUSTY PURPLE DIRT. YOU KNOW THAT BEYOND THE ROCK CROPPINGS IS A TOWN, AND BEYOND THAT, WAY BEYOND THAT, IS THE LUSH FARMING COUNTRY. YOU RECALL A MEMORY FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD, ONE OF YOUR MOTHER SAYING, "MIJA, YOU SEEN ONE DESERT PLANET? YOU SEEN THEM ALL." YOU TWIST THE PURPLE DIRT UNDER YOUR BOOT AND LOOK AT IT THOUGHTFULLY. [[YOU'RE OUTSIDE THE SALOON.]]//

//SHE WAS HALF RIGHT. DESERT PLANETS ARE ALL FULL OF DIRT, OR SAND, AND DAPPLED MOSTLY WITH SMALL TOWNS, AND, RARELY, A CITY PORT. MOST HAVE ONLY BEEN PARTIALLY TERRAFORMED, LEAVING A SMATTERING OF FARMLAND AREAS ACROSS THE BARREN PLANETS. OF COURSE THIS PLANET ONLY BARELY RESEMBLES THE DESERT PLANET YOU WERE BORN ON. OF COURSE YOU BARELY REMEMBER IT, IF AT ALL. YOU WERE PRACTICALLY A BOOMER, WHISKED OFF ON A SHIP AND INTO SPACE NOT LONG AFTER. YOU TIP YOUR HEAD UP TO TO [[GAZE OUT INTO THE HORIZON.]] BINARY STARS BEAT DOWN FROM THE SKY.//

//YOU'VE BEEN TO MANYY DESERT PLANETS NOW. YOU'VE BEEN TO MANY PLANETS IN GENERAL, AND YOUR FAIR SHARE OF MOONS. BUT THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE DESERT. MAMA ALWAYS SAID IT WAS BECAUSE WHEN YOU WERE BORN, YOU BORN OUT UNDER THE OPEN STARS AND THE DESERT AIR WAS THE FIRST THING TO TOUCH YOUR FACE AND GET INTO THOSE ''LIVIANITOS'' OF YOURS. "CAN'T HELP WHAT BEATS THROUGH YOUR BLOOD," SHE'D SAY. [[YOU HEAR THE SALOON DOOR CREAK OPEN.]]//

//THE SYNTH-PIANO RAGTIME LEAKS OUT AT FULL VOLUME, FULL OF LIFE IN THE STILL DESERT AIR. IT FADES AS THE SALOON DOORS SHUTTER SHUT AGAIN. YOU HEAR THE RHYTHMIC CRUNCH-CRUNCH OF CHROME BOOTS ON SAND AS SOMEONE APPROACHES YOU. YOU REMAIN LEANING AGAINST THE FENCE POST, ONE HAND STILL HOLDING THE TOOTHPICK, THE OTHER RESTING LAZILY ON ONE OF YOU ULTRAVIOLET ELECTRON PISTOLS. "'SCUSE ME MISS? [[ARE YOU CARMELITA MAL BRUJA?"->"YOU CARMELITA MAL BRUJA?"]]//

//YOU TOSS THE TOOTHPICK INTO THE DIRT AND SLOWLY LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER, REGARDING THE STRANGER OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE. [["DEPENDS ON WHO'S ASKING."]] [["WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT??"]]//

//"DEPENDS ON WHO'S ASKING," YOU FLASH SMILE AS YOU SAY THE WORDS. "I WAS WONDERING IF I COULD TALK TO YOU A MINUTE?" YOU TURN AROUND FULLY NOW, FACING THEM. IT'S JUST A KID, A KARVELIAN, BLUE SKIN AND ALL. HE LOOKS YOUNG, OLD ENOUGH TO BE AT THE SALOON BUT JUST BARELY SO. YOU FLASH A FRIENDLY SMILE AT HIM. [["SURE THING, ''CACHORRO''."-> BEEP1]]//

//"UH, UH SORRY I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS!" THE KID SOUNDS FLUSTERED. BUT YOUR NOT REALLY IN THE MOOD TODAY, SO YOU TURN BACK TO HORIZON AND POP A NEW TOOTHPICK IN YOUR MOUTH, "BEAT IT KID." YOU HEAR HIM SHUFFLE OFF, AND THEN THE MUSIC SWELLING AND RECEDING AS HE RE-ENTERS THE SALOON. [[YOU DECIDE TO TOSS THIS TOOTHPICK ON THE GROUND TOO.]]//

//YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES AND LISTEN TO THE SAND LIZARDS SHREIK IN THE DISTANCE. TILTING YOUR HEAD DOWN YOU SHADE YOUR FACE WITH THE BRIM OF YOUR HAT AND BREATH DEEP. [[GOD, THE AIR IS DRY.]]//

//YOU SUPPOSE ITS TIME TO HEAD BACK TO THE SHIP. THE REST OF YOUR CREW HAS WRAPPED UP SHORE LEAVE. EACH SLOWLY RETURNING TO THE SHIP THIS MORNING, REPLENISHED IN SUPPLIES AND VIGOR. YOU'RE THE LAST ONE STILL ON THE PLANET. DOESN'T MATTER, YOU'RE THE CAPTAIN. THIS THOUGHT MAKES YOU SMIRK. LOOK AT ME NOW MAMA, YOU THINK, CAPTAIN OF MY VERY OWN CREW. YOU WONDER IF SHE'D EVER LOOKED AT YOU, A RAG TAG, SPACE-FARING, ''BULLANGUERO PELEON'', AND PICTURED YOU AS ''UN CAPITÁN.'' YOU EASE UP OFF THE POST AND [[HEAD OFF IN THE DIRECTION OF YOUR SERPENT RUNNER.]]//

//"BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST, CALL ME ''CARMEL''. ALL MY FRIENDS DO." THE KID SMILES, "CARMEL." [[THE NAME ROLLS AROUND HIS MOUTH CLUMSILY.]]//

//"I HEARD YOU WERE IN TOWN, BUT I DIDN'T BELIEVE IT UNTIL SOMEONE IN THE BAR POINTED YOU OUT." YOU LOOK AT HIM PLAINLY. [["AREN'T YOU ON THE RUN FROM SOMEONE?"]]//

//"I'M ALWAYS ON THE RUN FROM SOMEONE, ONE WAY OR ANOTHER," YOU SAY. "OH." YOU TURN YOUR ATTENTION TO THE HORIZON, "YOU SEE THAT SHIP UP THERE?" YOU POINT TO A BLACK DOT FLOATING LAZILY IN THE SKY BETWEEN THE STARS, "THAT'S MY SHIP, ''DREAMBOAT ANNIE'': SHIP OF DREAMS." YOU LOOK OVER AND SEE HIS BLUE FACE FULL OF WONDER, HIS GAZE FIXED ONTO YOUR SHIP. [[YOU SMILE TO YOURSELF.]]//

//"I'D LOVE TO HAVE MY OWN SHIP, MY OWN CREW! TO GO OFF ON ADVENTURES AND EXPLORE SPACE!" HE'S BUZZING WITH ENERGY NOW. [[YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T ENCOURAGE HIM TO BE LIKE YOU.]] BUT THEN AGAIN, [[IT'S NOT LIKE YOUR HIS PARENTS.]]//

//"NAH, YOU DON'T WANNA BE A BANDITA LIKE ME." HE LOOKS DOWN, SCUFFING AT THE DIRT, "WELL ANYWAY, COULD I GET YOUR AUTOGRAPH?" HE PULLS OFF HIS HAT AND POINTS TO THE UNDER SIDE OF THE BRIM. [[YOU SIGN IT.-> GOD]]//

//"SOMEDAY KID, YOU JUST GOTTA DREAM BIG." "HERE TAKE THIS," YOU REACH UP TO YOUR LEFT EAR AND UNHOOK A GOLDEN HOOP FROM THE ROW OF THEM RUNNING UP YOUR EAR. YOU PLACE IT IN THE PALM OF HIS OPEN HAND. [[YOU WINK-> GOD]], "FOR LUCK."//

//"GOD, THANKS!" YOU STICK YOUR HAND OUT AND HE GRABS IT GIVING YOU A FIRM SHAKE. WITH THAT HE WALKS BACK TO THE SALOON. YOU [[TURN BACK TO THE DESERT.->GOD, THE AIR IS DRY.]]//

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/cJCcMVw.jpg"> //[[BEGIN->begin]]//