Taurus Equinox to Dreamboat Annie

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

//YOUR NAME IS [[SHAYON NOR TORRA]] [[KALISA FREOR]]//

//[[YOU ARE A PILOT]]//

//[[YOU ARE A DOCTOR]]//

//A VAST FIELD OF STARS LAYS OUT BEFORE YOU. IN THE DISTANCE, OFF TO THE RIGHT IS THE ''ALDERA SYSTEM'', GROWING EVER CLEARER ON THE NAV SYSTEM, YET STILL JUST A SHIMMERING DOT ON YOUR VIEW SCREEN. YOU [[SIT BACK]] IN YOUR CHAIR AS THE AUTO-PILOT STEERS YOU FORWARD. YOU CROSS YOUR ARMS BEHIND YOUR HEAD AND PROP YOUR FEET UP ON THE DASH.//

//YOU ARE IN THE SCIENCE BAY OF THIS SHIP. YOUR SHIP. WELL, YOURS AND SHAY'S SHIP. OUR SHIP, YOU THINK. YOU ARE BENT OVER A MICROSCOPE, STUDYING A SLIDE CONTAINING A SAMPLE FROM YOUR OWN HYDRO-BAY. SOMETHING HAS BEEN CAUSING YOUR PLANTS TO ROT AT AN ASTONISHING RATE. YOU [[SIT BACK->SIT BACK2]] AND PINCH THE BRIDGE OF YOUR NOSE. YOU'VE BEEN STUDYING THESE SAMPLES FOR TWO WEEKS WITH NO LUCK.//

//YOUR EYES LAZILY SCAN THE FEED OUTPUTS ON THE DASH. YOUR EYE CATCHES THE VARIOUS REPAIR LIGHTS LIT UP. YOU HUFF AND RE-ADJUST YOURSELF IN YOUR CHAIR, STOMPING YOU FEET BACK ONTO THE FLOOR. UN-BE-LIEV-ABLE. YOU'VE ONLY HAD YOUR SHIP, THE [[HSC TAURUS EQUINOX]], FOR A MATTER OF MONTHS NOW, AND THE SHIP ALREADY NEEDS REPAIRS. SURE, SHE WAS A GENERATION OR TWO BEHIND THE NEW MODELS, AND USED, BUT KALISA HAD BEEN RIGHT. THAT USED STARSHIP SELLER HAD BEEN SHADY.//

//IT DIDN'T MATTER THOUGH, BECAUSE THIS SHIP WAS YOURS, BOTH OF YOURS AND YOU HAD MOBILITY NOW. A SMILE SPREADS ACROSS YOUR FACE AS YOU THINK BACK TO JUST BEFORE YOU'D BOUGHT THIS SHIP. IT WAS ON ''ESMARS IV'', A KARVELIAN COLONY PLANET, YOUR HOME PLANET. YOU AND KALISA HAD BEEN LIVING TOGETHER FOR JUST UNDER THREE YEARS. THEY'D ONLY BEEN LIVING ON THE PLANET FOR FIVE. ONE NIGHT, THE TWO OF YOU HAD TAKEN YOUR MAG-SCOUT OUT ON THE TRAILS AND DROVE FOR HOURS INTO THE GREEN COUNTRY SIDE UNTIL THE CITY WAS JUST A HAZY GLIMMER ON THE HORIZON, AND [[THE SUN HAD SET.]]//

//KALISA HAD MADE YOU STOP, HOPPING OFF THE MAG-SCOUT AND WADING INTO THE SHIMMERING GRASS OF AN EMPTY FIELD. YOU FOLLOWED. THEY WADED FOR A MINUTE BEFORE BENDING OVER AND DISAPPEARING INTO THE GRASS. YOU FOUND THEM LYING ON THEIR BACK, HANDS UNDER THEIR HEAD GAZING AT THE STARS. YOU LIED DOWN NEXT TO THEM, CLOSE ENOUGH SO [[YOUR LEGS TOUCHED.]]//

//YOU'D ASKED THEM WHAT THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT AND THEY REPLIED, THE STARS. KALISA WAS USED TO TRAVELING IN SPACE OFTEN, YOU ON THE OTHER HAND HAD ONLY BEEN UP A HANDFUL OF TIMES, AND IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, KALISA HAD ONLY BEEN UP ONCE TO VISIT THEIR FAMILY. YOU KNEW THEY MISSED BEING UP THERE. THERE WAS A SPELL OF SILENCE BEFORE YOU SAT UP ABRUPTLY, LOOKING DOWN AT YOUR PARTNER. [[LET'S BUY A SHIP]], YOU HAD SAID.//

//IT HAD TAKEN MINIMAL CONVINCING, AND A LUNAR MONTH LATER THE TWO OF YOU WERE OFF, IN A SHIP ALL YOUR OWN. ''-BEEP-'' A WARNING KLAXON SHAKES YOU FROM YOUR REVERIE. YOU [[TAP A SERIES OF GLO-BUTTONS]] MOMENTS BEFORE A RUMBLING SOUND BELLOWS THROUGH THE SHIP FOLLOWED BY A VIOLENT ROCKING.//

//A SERIES OF WARNING KLAXONS ARE BLARING NOW. YOU JUST BARELY HEAR THE WHOOSH OF THE DOOR OPENING AS KALISA ENTERS. YOU TURN YOUR HEAD AND GREET THEM WITH A CROOKED SMILE. "SHAY, WHAT ON OLEON WAS THAT?!" THEY LOOKED A BIT FLUSTERED, THEIR DARK EYES GLINTING AROUD THE COCKPIT IN MANNER ATYPICAL TO THEIR USUAL COOL DEMEANOR. [["HELL IF I KNOW, BABE."]]//

//YOU TURN BACK TO THE DASH AND TAP IN A FEW COMMANDS. YOU ARE DESPERATELY TRYING TO KEEP YOUR COOL AS YOU TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON. YOU PULL UP A HOLO SCREEN AND READ THE OUTPUTS. NOT GOOD. "LOOKS LIKE A GRAVATON SHOCK WAVE BLEW OUR BACK THRUSTER. THE FUEL INJECTORS ON THE FRITZ NOW." KALISA IS BY YOUR SIDE, ONE HAND ON YOUR SHOULDER, "WHAT DO WE DO?" [[YOU SUPPOSE YOU CAN TRY AND FIX IT.]] [[THEN AGAIN YOU'RE NO ENGINEER.]]//

//MUTING THE KLAXONS, YOU SPIN TO KALISA, "I NEED YOU TO TAKE THE HELM." SHE MOVES WITHOUT HESITATION, TAKING YOUR SEAT AS YOU RUN TO THE DOOR. YOU TURN BACK TO HER, SAYING, "I'M GOING TO RUN DOWN TO THE ENGINE ROOM, JUST KEEP HER STEADY." WITH THAT, [[YOU'RE OUT OF THE ROOM.]]//

//"LOOKS LIKE WE GOTTA TRY AND LAND IT, BABE." KALISA NODS SHARPLY, MOVING TO TAKE A SEAT BESIDE YOU. YOU SHIFT INTO SERIOUS BUSINESS MODE, "ALRIGHT, LOOKS LIKE WE CAN MAKE IT TO THE ALDERA SYSTEM IF WE KICK INTO PULSE STAT 7." "CAN WE HANDLE PULSE STAT 7?" KALISA'S VOICE IS STEADY AND IT EASES YOU. [["WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO."]]//

//THE CLOSEST PLANET IN THE ALDERA SYSTEM IS ONLY A COUPLE THOUSAND ASTROMETRAS AWAY NOW. YOU TAKE A CURSORY GLANCE AT THE SCANNER OUTPUT AND MAKE SURE IT'S AT LEAST GOT AN ATMOSHPERE. YOU HOVER OVER THE GLO-DIALS AND [[TAKE A DEEP BREATH]] BEFORE KNOCKING THE SHIP UP STAT BY STAT UNTIL YOU REACH PULSE 7.//

//THE PLANET COMES UP ON YOU FAST. FASTER THAN YOU EXPECTED. YOU GRAB ONTO THE YOKE AND CURVE SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT, BEARING DOWN INTO THE PLANETS ATMOSPHERE. THE PLANETS ATMOSPHERE BURNS AT THE OUTER HULL OF THE SHIP, AND NOW THE COCKPIT IS FULL OF KLAXONS BLARING AND THE JET-ENGINE ROAR OF RE-ENTRY. [[YOU GRAB KALISA'S HAND.]]//

//[[THE WORLD BLINDS WITH A BRIGHT, WHITE LIGHT.]]//

//YOU TAKE OFF DOWN THE HALL AT FULL SPEED, REACHING THE ENGINE ROOM IN NO TIME. YOU SLIP INSIDE AND BEGIN RUNNING DIAGNOSTICS AT THE COMPUTER CONSOLE. YOU ARE TRYING TO IGNORE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE NOT AN ENGINEER. YOUR FINGERS FLY ACROSS THE GLO-BUTTONS AND YOU COME TO FINAL DECISION. YOU CAN [[EJECT THE DAMAGED THRUSTERS' CAPACITOR.]] OR YOU CAN [[RUN A COOLANT FROM THE REGULATION SYSTEM INTO THE THRUSTER]] AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.//

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/HmhLMe8.jpg"> PART ONE: CARMELITA BANDITA http://philome.la/VaporwaveBabe/carmelita-bandita

//EJECT THAT SUCKER! YOU TAP THE APPROPRIATE BUTTONS AND [[RELEASE THE HOLD CLAMPS]] ON THE THRUSTERS' CAPACITOR, SENDING IT OFF INTO SPACE.//

//TIME FOR A COOLDOWN. YOU TAP THE APPROPRIATE BUTTONS AND [[OVERRIDE THE COMMANDS OF THE REGULATION SYSTEM->RELEASE THE HOLD CLAMPS]], FORCING IT TO RUN A COOLANT INTO THE DAMAGED THRUSTERS' CHAMBER.//

//YOU WAIT A MOMENT BEFORE REALIZING THAT, HUH, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE DONE MUCH. "SHAY," KALISA'S VOICE RASPS OVER THE TELECOMM. "YOU NEED TO GET DOWN HERE." [[YOU TAKE OFF RUNNING]]//

//YOU RE-ENTER THE COCKPIT TO SEE THE CLOSEST PLANET IN THE ALDERA SYSTEM QUICKLY FILLING THE VIEW SCREEN. SHIT. AS IF SHE'S READ YOUR MIND, KALISA INSTINCTIVELY MOVES OUT OF YOUR SEAT. YOU TAKE IT AND [[BEGIN PREPARING FOR A LANDING.]] "WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LAND IT, BABE."//

//YOU BEAR DOWN INTO THE PLANETS EXOSPHERE. THE PLANETS ATMOSPHERE BURNS AT THE OUTER HULL OF THE SHIP, AND NOW THE COCKPIT IS FULL OF KLAXONS BLARING AND THE JET-ENGINE ROAR OF RE-ENTRY. [[YOU GRAB KALISA'S HAND.]]//

//THIS ISN'T QUITE YOUR WHEELHOUSE EITHER. YOU COME FROM A LONG LINE OF TRADITIONAL SHACANIC HEALERS. YOU GREW UP LEARNING HOW TO USE MATERIALS TO INTUITIVELY HEAL. SURE, YOU STUDIED MEDICAL SCIENCES AT THE INTERSTELLAR ALLIANCE ACADEMY, BUT HEALING SENTIENT LIFE-FORMS IS WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IN YOUR BLOOD. THIS IS A PLANT. [[YOU FEEL A BIT FRUSTRATED.]]//

//"TAURUS," YOU CALL TO THE COMPUTER, "LOCATE SHAY." THE COMPUTER'S AI BEEPS AND WHIRS FOR A MOMENT BEFORE ANSWERING IN A LOW VOICE, "SHAY IS LOCATED IN THE COCKPIT." OF COURSE, YOU [[SMILE INWARDLY.]] WHERE ELSE WOULD SHE BE.//

//NOW YOU ARE THINKING OF YOUR HELM-RAT OF A GIRLFRIEND. YOU LAUGH. SHE WASN'T ALWAYS SUCH A PILOT. IN FACT, BEFORE THE TWO OF YOU HAD BOUGHT THIS SHIP, SHE'D ONLY BEEN IN SPACE A HANDFUL OF TIMES. YOU ON THE OTHER HAND HAD GROWN UP SPENDING HALF YOUR TIME ON ''AKETI'', YOUR HOMEWORLD, AND THE OTHER HALF TRAVELING SPACE, TO OTHER PLANETS. YOUR FAMILY THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO HAVE EXPERIENCE HEALING OTHER SPECIES. [[YOU'RE GRATEFUL]] FOR THAT.//

//LEARNING HOW TO TREAT A MULTITUDE OF SPECIES HELPED YOU LEARN HOW TO TRIAGE UNFAMILIAR SPECIES. YOU [[REMEMBER]] THE FIRST TIME YOU HAD TO TRIAGE AN UNFAMILIAR SPECIES.//

//YOU HAD JUST ARRIVED ON ''ESMARS IV'', A KARVELIAN COLONY PLANET, A FEW DAYS PRIOR. YOU HAD BEEN OUT IN THE FIELDS OUTSIDE THE CITY TRYING TO GET THE HANG OF RIDING YOUR MAG-SCOUT. EVERYONE IN THE CITY HAD ONE, IT SEEMED. YOU VIVIDLY REMEMBER CAREENING THROUGH THE TALL SHIMMERING GRASS, SOMETHING THAT HAD MADE YOU GASP WHEN YOU HAD FIRST DISEMBARKED, THE WAY THE GRASS GLITTERED AS IT WAVED IN THE BREEZE. YOU'D TURNED DOWN A PATH SHARPLY, PULLING UP TO COME TO A SLIDING STOP. SOMEONE WAS LAYING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PATH, MAG-SCOUT HAVING BEEN FLUNG OFF INTO THE GRASS. [[THEY WERE LAUGHING.]]//

//YOU'D HOPPED OFF YOUR VEHICLE AND MADE YOUR WAY QUICKLY TO THE FIGURE. SHE DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THE OTHER KARVELIANS AROUND. HER SKIN WAS BLUE BUT ONLY LIGHTLY SO, AS IF SHE WERE ONLY TINGED. IT LOOKED STRIKING UNDER YOUR DARK SKIN AS YOU LIGHTLY GRABBED HER ARM. "ARE YOU OK?" HER LAUGHTER SUBSIDED AS SHE TRIED TO SIT UP. IMMEDIATELY HER HAND FLEW TO HER SIDE, HER FLAT CHEST HEAVING WITH A GASP. [[YOU PEER AT HER SIDE.]]//

//ABRASIONS LINED THE SIDE OF HER TORSO, HER SHIRT RIPPED, PROBABLY FROM SLIDING ALONG THE GROUND. "HERE LET ME TAKE CARE OF THAT," YOU [[REACHED INTO YOUR BACKPACK]], PULLING OUT A MEDKIT.//

//IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO CLEAN THE CUTS AND PASS THE RE-DERMA OVER THEM TO BEGIN THE HEALING PROCESS. "GOOD AS NEW," YOU SAY WITH A SMALL SMILE, TURNING TO PUT YOUR KIT AWAY. [[YOU CAN FEEL HER EYES ON YOU.]] "THANKS," SHE SAYS AFTER A MOMENT. SHE SHUFFLES UP TO HER FEET AND EXTENDS A HAND DOWN TO PULL YOU UP. SHE WINCES SLIGHTLY. SHE HOLDS ONTO YOUR HAND AND SAYS, "I'M SHAYON."//

//[["KALISA."]]//

//SHAY'S VOICE PULLS YOU FROM YOUR MEMORIES, "WE'VE GOT A-" SHE'S CUT OFF AS A RUMBLING SOUND BELLOWS THROUGH THE SHIP FOLLOWED BY A VIOLENT ROCKING. YOU BRACE YOURSELF BEFORE TAPPING THE TELECOMM'S BUTTON, "I'M ON MY WAY." YOU [[TAKE OFF]] RUNNING."//

//YOU RACE DOWN THE HALLS OF THE SHIP HEADING TOWARDS THE COCKPIT. YOUR BOOTS MAKE A SOFT THAP SOUND WITH EVERY MEASURED STEP. SHAY MUST HEAR YOU COMING AND STARTS TO SPEAK THE MOMENT YOU ENTER,"LOOKS LIKE A GRAVATON SHOCK WAVE BLEW OUR BACK THRUSTER. THE FUEL INJECTORS ON THE FRITZ NOW." YOU MOVE TO STAND BY HER, A HAND ON HER SHOULDER, [["WHAT DO WE DO?"]]//

//"WELL, I CAN [[TRY TO LAND IT]]," SHE TURNS TO FACE YOU, "OR I CAN [[TRY TO FIX IT]], WHAT DO YOU THINK?"//

//YOU'VE GOT FAITH IN SHAY, "LAND IT." "OKAY," THE RESERVE IN HER VOICE STEELS. SHE SITS UP STRAIGHTER, "I NEED YOUR HELP WITH THIS." YOU MOVE TO [[SIT IN THE SEAT BESIDE HER.]]//

//YOU GLANCE AT THE HELM AND BACK TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND. YOU'VE FLOWN BEFORE, NOT MUCH, BUT ENOUGH TIMES THAT YOU COULD MANAGE. "GO [[FIX IT.]]"//

//"ALRIGHT, LOOKS LIKE WE CAN MAKE IT TO THE ALDERA SYSTEM IF WE KICK INTO PULSE STAT 7." "CAN WE HANDLE PULSE STAT 7?" YOUR VOICE IS STEADY DESPITE YOUR EMOTIONS. [["WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO." -> TWO]]//

//THE CLOSEST PLANET IN THE ALDERA SYSTEM IS ONLY A COUPLE THOUSAND ASTROMETRAS AWAY NOW. YOU TAKE A CURSORY GLANCE AT THE SCANNER OUTPUT AND MAKE SURE IT'S AT LEAST GOT AN ATMOSHPERE. YOU HOVER OVER THE GLO-DIALS AND [[TAKE A DEEP BREATH -> DIFF BREATH]] BEFORE KNOCKING THE SHIP UP STAT BY STAT UNTIL YOU REACH PULSE 7.//

//THE PLANET COMES UP ON YOU FAST. FASTER THAN YOU EXPECTED. SHAY GRABS ONTO THE YOKE AND CURVES SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT, BEARING DOWN INTO THE PLANETS ATMOSPHERE. THE PLANETS ATMOSPHERE BURNS AT THE OUTER HULL OF THE SHIP, AND NOW THE COCKPIT IS FULL OF KLAXONS BLARING AND THE JET-ENGINE ROAR OF RE-ENTRY. SHAY GRABS YOUR HAND. YOU [[HOLD ON TIGHTLY. ->YOU GRAB KALISA'S HAND.]]//

//MUTING THE KLAXONS, SHAY SPINS TO YOU, "I NEED YOU TO TAKE THE HELM." YOU MOVE WITHOUT HESITATION, TAKING HER SEAT AS SHE RUNS TO THE DOOR. SHE TURN BACK TO YOU, SAYING, "I'M GOING TO RUN DOWN TO THE ENGINE ROOM, JUST [[KEEP HER STEADY]]." WITH THAT, SHE'S OUT OF THE ROOM.//

//YOU TURN BACK TO THE DASH AND GRAB THE YOKE WITH YOUR LEFT HAND, RIGHT HAND TAPPING AT THE CONSOLE TO [[RE-ADJUST THE ATTITUDE.]]//

//YOU WORK TO KEEP THE SHIP FROM JERKING BACK AND FORTH. -BEEP- YOU LOOK OVER TO THE VIEW SCREEN TO SEE THE CLOSEST PLANET IN THE ALDERA SYSTEM QUICKLY FILLING THE VIEW SCREEN. CRAP. "SHAY," YOU [[RASP INTO THE TELECOMM.]] "YOU NEED TO GET DOWN HERE."//

//IT'S A FEW MOMENTS BEFORE SHE RE-ENTERS THE COCKPIT. INSTINCTIVELY YOU MOVE OUT OF SHAY'S SEAT. SHE TAKES IT AND BEGIN PREPARING FOR A LANDING, "WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LAND IT, BABE." YOU MOVE TO[[ TAKE THE SEAT]] NEXT TO HERS.//

//YOU WATCH AS SHE BEARS DOWN INTO THE PLANETS EXOSPHERE. THE PLANETS ATMOSPHERE BURNS AT THE OUTER HULL OF THE SHIP, AND NOW THE COCKPIT IS FULL OF KLAXONS BLARING AND THE JET-ENGINE ROAR OF RE-ENTRY. SHAY GRABS YOUR HAND. YOU [[HOLD ON TIGHTLY. ->YOU GRAB KALISA'S HAND.]]//