Mia, Chapter 2

[MonkeyFunky]

Mia, Chapter 1




Tossing and turning, Mia wakes to see the faint glow of an android's eyes staring blankly back at her from across the small, dark room. Mia stares back at this RAcaseal, who sits quietly in her chair and asks, "ARISTA, don't you ever sleep?" ARISTA simply continues to stare. Creepy and comforting, these eyes do not falter, for these are the eyes of a sworn protector, sworn by the blood of a dying parent. Focusing on the soft glow of these eyes, Mia finds peace and falls back asleep.

Like an alarm, lights turn on at 880 beats. To some, that might be considered too late or too early, but time aboard a spaceship is somewhat irrelevant when it is traveling in sub space.

Mia awakens to a large wrapped box sitting in front of her. "Happy birthday," mentions ARISTA, still sitting in her chair.

Mia gives a mixed reaction and pauses for a moment. "It's not my birthday, it's just the day you found me."

"Everyone needs a birthday."

Mia looks out of a small window to take a moment to ponder. "I know ARISTA. Thanks. We've known each other for eleven years, huh?" Mia was older than that. By her calculations, she thinks she's fifteen.

Mia lost her mother when she was old enough to walk, but not old enough to understand. ARISTA found Mia's mother while hunting eleven years ago, fatally injured and on her last breath. ARISTA tried to revive her with Moon Atomizers, but she was unsuccessful, the wounds were far too deep to be repaired. The woman's arms were wrapped around her unconscious child. The only words ARISTA heard were, "Please protect this child, her name is Mia." ARISTA nodded and with her mother's last bit of energy, she lifted the child into ARISTA'S arms, and finally exhaled into death. ARISTA took the child, her mother's weapons and supply pack, which contained mates, fluids, and her Hunter's License, Mia's only picture of her mother. From that moment on, ARISTA kept by Mia's side on their home world to raise her, and throughout their entire voyage on DENEB: A ship that was built for the PIONEER 2 project. PIONEER 2 had recently passed its seventh year in space, and they still haven't reached their destination.

Mia snaps out of her stare and focuses on the nicely wrapped present. She then tries to pick it up. "What's in here? It weighs a ton!"

"Open it."

Mia slowly unwraps her gift and clumsily lifts it out of the box. "A gun?" She says while examining it. The gun's original luster is non-existent. Scratches and apparent years of wear and tear have given this weapon the look of a finely experienced machine. Mia runs a fingernail through what looks like a claw mark. "It looks so old! What am I going to use it for?"

"To train."

"Train? with this old thing? My Raygun is MUCH lighter and easier to use in VR." Mia looked at the name engraved on its side. "YAS... MIN? KOV 2000H? What's that? That's a funny name."

"Don't make fun of it. That's not just any gun."
"But look at it! It doesn't even have a photon cell! And it's so heavy!" Mia could barely even lift it to aim without wobbling her arms. She noticed the name "Marlene" carved into the handle. In that moment, she realized where this gun had come from. Marlene was the name of?

"It belonged to your mother."

Mia could not say a word. Instantaneously her eyes welled up with tears, which streamed down her face, dropped and lightly splashed onto the old gun, giving it a moment of sparkle that it hadn't seen in more than a decade. She runs her finger along the deep scratch again, realizing that this scratch was made while protecting her? Perhaps even for the last time. It broke her heart to look at it, but she was happy to have such a keepsake. She wiped her tears away and started to admire its old and dull finish. She then nestled it in her arms like she were carrying a baby.

"Do you want to start training with it now?"

Mia slowly nodded.

End, Chapter 1



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: MonkeyFunky on 2003-07-18 10:28 ]</font>

[Musashi_D]

A nice beginning. It's a good blend of storytelling and introducing the pasts of these characters at the same time.

I wonder what'll happen next.

>D

[MonkeyFunky]

Mia, Chapter 2

Mia and ARISTA walk out of their room and into a long hallway that leads them to one of DENEB'S many lobbies. The lobbies are where everyone onboard typically congregates and mingles about what they're currently doing with their lives. There's really not much else to do than that, except for going to VR on the mother ship. Mia and ARISTA walk to the center transport counter in order to ask one of the ladies there for access to PIONEER 2.

As they are reaching the counter, VASH, a young HUmar hanging out with his friends: VASH the RAmar and VASH the other RAmar, notices Mia and ARISTA walking by and hastily says "Look, there's that STUPID ROBOKID." This is the name Mia was dubbed since she and ARISTA started living in DENEB on account that she was the orphan child who was raised by an android. VASH is a common name between HUmars and RAmars, and perhaps not coincidentally, most of them look and act relatively the same. Mia heard the comment and paused for a moment. She often wondered how a grand society of people could build ships to reach the stars, but still could fear and hate what they didn't understand. This moment is no different.

ARISTA does not respond much to the taunts of close-minded people, but when she sees that Mia's pride had been hurt as a result of them, she quickly turns with the intent to pistol-whip and beat each of these jokers down. "No." Mia says in a soft, controlled voice. She continues to the transport counter and ARISTA follows as VASH, VASH and VASH continue to joke about them. Mia speaks to the counterwoman, and in a flash, both Mia and ARISTA are gone.

They arrive at the entrance to an alleyway marketplace of PIONEER 2 City to buy supplies before they start their training. This is where some go to find anything that they might need from powerful weapons to addicting candies. Mia and ARISTA walk through the large crowd of beggars at the gates and continue toward the end. They take glances into the booths of the many weapons duplicators who do their business in this alley, but none of them are selling what they need. They finally come to the end of the alleyway to find Mr. YOOESSBEE, the only weapons duplicator on the block who duplicates and sells mates, fluids and other supplies for cheap.

Since the PIONEER 2 project was conceived and funded by the government, they also regulate the selling of goods and weapons onboard PIONEER 2, usually weaker weapons and often at very expensive prices. In order to make meseta or receive other supplies and weapons, hunters are forced to participate in VR and pick these items up from their virtual "kills." Even with VR, the bounty is slim pickings because even the VR system was created and is regulated by the government. This is why weapons duplicators are so useful to some. They sell rare, high-powered items at half the cost of what the government would sell the same item for. As this is a highly illegal and frowned upon activity, these items are sold in the hidden alleyways and dark corners of PIONEER 2 City.

After their purchase of Dimates and Trimates, Mia and ARISTA hail a sky-cab to take them to a VR Lab. During the ride, Mia looks at her heavy and tattered birthday present. She immediately thinks of her mother's strife on their home world. She imagines her mother warding off starving wild animals, protecting a defenseless child, doing anything in her power to make their lives better on a dying planet. What hurt her more is that she can only speculate such things. She has little recollection of her mother, or life on their home world. After ARISTA found her, they trekked to the PIONEER 2 project and took refuge there until PIONEER 2 finally left. Mia never truly knew her mother, but she wants so bad to let her know that she didn’t die in vain. Mia will have a better life when PIONEER 2 finally reaches its destination, as will everyone else. She will grow to be a strong woman, even though she knows that her new home will be peaceful. She will be strong because her mother was so strong, fighting until her last breath. Trying to deter the rising emotions in her, Mia begins to make silly faces at ARISTA. ARISTA simply stares blankly back at her.

The driver stops his vehicle, takes a quick glance at his meter and says, "That'll be 42 meseta."

End, Chapter 2

R

[AUTO_]

Hey keep up the good work--it's coming along nicely.

(I need a protector robot...)