Just Visiting [a character sketch]

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Paranoid66
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Just Visiting [a character sketch]

Post by Paranoid66 »

Just Visiting
A Character Sketch set in the Reapers Passage 'Beachhead City'
by Paranoid66


It was a sucker punch - I never saw it coming - not that it might have made that much difference if I did! Well I’m no fighter by choice, though I am quite capable if pushed, but I never saw the point. I prefer to avoid pain whenever possible, nor did I ever get high on hurting anyone else - unless they had tried to hurt, or succeeded in hurting me first. On this occasion my motivation was more damp - even than usual - everything simply tilted. It was a fine blow - maybe if I’d been sober I wouldn’t have appreciated it half as much (I’m sure it would have landed twice as hard too) as it was the background just got that little bit more distant for a brief moment.

Following my collapse I watched the fan in the ceiling going round, and round. I liked the mechanisms sound it was the drone of fresh sweet air. It was cooler on the floor anyway - which wasn’t a bad thing - recently I had been feeling far too hot yes even in the shade; I wasn’t used to these temperatures. When I arrived at the spaceport a fine looking girl at immigration asked me if I had a fever. Only if you want to play nurse I had replied while dripping salty droplets off my forehead, well it seemed good for a laugh, but she looked at me like she had heard it all before - guess you can’t win them all - another reason why I prefer not to fight.

Anyway the brawlers it seemed were only interested in - willing participants - I hadn’t realised it was that kind of place [with hindsight it was possibly an aberration] at any rate the scuffle moved on, I had just been accidental collateral damage, so for a few glorious moments of ceiling watching I was left in peace. In fact I hadn’t felt so relaxed in ages, why is it always easier to relax when you aren‘t really trying? When some meaty hands reached down to extricate me from my bed I was actually kind of disappointed, maybe that showed on my face as they initially gave me a queer look!

Anyway, it was back to the real world - with a grunt of effort - even if it was yawing slightly! I still remembered my manners (if a little late) I smiled, and thanked the kind individuals concerned after I secretly checked they hadn‘t taken anything other than my gratitude. I’ve travelled a bit, and learned a few things it doesn’t pay to be surly but caution is advised. Mostly we get what we give; it all comes around in a tight circle.

As it was still early I considered approaching the bar again, but decided it was - too early - for that! Unfortunately it was too early to go out too, I could see the sun burning through gaps in the shutters with seriously murderous intent - the humidity was horrendous as well - that made my head hurt. I slouched over to one corner, and rested my weary bones on a hard wooden bench. Placed my back against the almost cool wall that felt good too.

Eventually a waitress with a fresh face, and what looked like a genuine smile found me, and I bought something with a fancy name (a label I can’t remember now) but it was long, juicy, cold with lots of ice, not much alcohol, and with a hint of the essential salt that you lose fast in these temperatures. I recall thinking at the time that the solution almost felt medicinal, but with none of the pain, a rare benison! This time I didn’t even try my luck - I just gave her a decent tip - that kind of work is a grind with too much of the wrong sort of attention from your customers, I wasn’t about to add to the girls burden, like I said she had a genuine smile, I thought, best of luck with keeping that.

Things had settled down some local enforcement in black, and yellow banded uniforms showed up to ask a few questions, and grab a free one before departing. They gave me the once over, but obviously decided I was harmless. I guess if the Police had really been interested they would have asked me for a statement. I’m sure I just didn’t look important enough not to mention too poor - to be worth shaking down - the fake ID was obviously well worth the credits not to mention the data base hack.

You see I wasn’t that destitute, but I had learned it don’t pay to display in this sort of city unless you have some hulking bodyguards or local connections so I had dressed down, and let myself go - a little - besides it felt comfortable. Myself I always liked to travel alone fewer complications that way: no schedule, no timetables, just whatever joy could be found in the simplicity of the moments. I was a tourist now as such almost any new experience that wasn’t - permanently - damaging was catalogued under worthwhile recreation.

When the sun dipped enough I wandered out onto the street. It was tolerable if not quite cool yet. I admit I was still feeling a little buzz from the alcohol. Everything seemed a little disconnected just enough to make it amusing as if life was just a show put on for my personal benefit. Although I was taken aback by the bumper-to-bumper ground cars - most with wheels - how quaint! Beachhead City didn’t disappoint it was full of rare flavour hardly Federal Argon at all - I liked that - some part of me had always wanted to be a rebel - but I was born into a corporation to privilege and decadent vice, so what did I know? Of course all that had been before I cut loose - before I was kidnapped - before my Universe changed.

I was looking forward to seeing my first Night Ravn, but it was probably a bit early for those to be leaving their roosts. Confessions I’m bit of a bird watcher I always like to take in the local avian species when I arrive at a new destination. You can mock all you like - I don’t give a Boron’s bubbly fart - I like birds they know all about freedom, and having been incarcerated there is nothing like watching birds fly in an open sky it is cathartic. It was also another reason why I don’t like fighting no desire to end up in a cell, not even in some local holding cubicle overnight. I might have dreamed about rebellion, but I’m actually - very lawful - my imprisonment wasn’t legitimate as I said I was a kidnap victim once, but I prefer not to dwell on it unfortunately it isn’t easy to let go of either.

If only they could develop a non-risky - effective - selective memory wipe, nice dream! Anyway I mused, it was probably too early for watching Ravens probably too loud, and busy too. Looking about at all the activity I followed the fall of the street heading down a gentle barely perceptible slope at this position that still nonetheless moved inexorably towards the call of the distant sea. I avoided fighting across the road. I wasn’t in the mood for squeezing through that, and I had also heard bad things about some of the short underground pedestrian subway crossing points. Although business folks in the centre were now deemed off-season I had dressed down, and so might be perceived as fair game by muggers or other villains.

Beachhead was in flux; oddly they said it was safer than it had been before the Devil returned to the nest of his birth - at least for the non-involved traveller. Tur Ryn was of interest to me (by accident or design) his Fallen Angels had killed my abuser in a clash of pirate destinies, and that had drawn my attention. I had put a bounty on the kidnapping fekker’s head, maybe that was instrumental in the Angels action, but I had felt at the time a bit cheated being ill disposed - to all Pirates even supposedly reformed ones - by this stage, but a contract as my father would say - is a contract - so I paid up. Nonetheless I handed over the credits with ill grace in my soul. Later I reconsidered after all the so-called Arch Fallen Angel had gone legitimate at least on the surface. So maybe I had come here to watch more than even genetically engineered birds - some part of me felt connected to the Infernal One. Like I said the past was difficult to forget, but I was always looking for new ways to cast my history aside, I had tried running, but it followed me like my shadow.

Thinking about birds I wondered did angels fall because they had lost their wings? What forces dare to trim an angel’s wing? What sort of angel would cut off his or her own? Mythology surrounds us all the time, we like to think we live in a modern universe one founded on sane logic, and demonstrable fact but few of us can function without pretend: without our allusions, illusions, and delusions even if it is only the delusion that she really loves me, well that one was at least possible if unlikely, however I was something of a cynic having trusted, and been betrayed. Now I saw trust itself as the betrayer; she had been the person she had been all along, I had just painted her with colours that hadn’t existed. Need is a dangerous thing, and lies can be beautiful not just ugly! Was this local Devil the father of beautiful lies was that why he had a following?

Beachhead had its own hills for people to climb, or slide down; from here I could see the sparkle of the sea. I couldn’t help but think that this was a nexus a crossroads between the primal elemental forces. Here was sited a juncture between the ground, the sea, the sky, and yes due to the spaceport, even the void alighted upon this spot. Certainly it was a fitting place for the reincarnation of an idea, why not here, where else would be better? Beachhead was soaked in blood too, the product of a colonial rebellion many still called it the Grave it held so many bones in its foundations. How horrible was that the idea of being buried enclosed (even deceased) that was no good outcome for any Argon. I planned to return to one of the suns that spawned me - money had been put aside safe for this requirement - even if I perished somehow destitute on planet in a remote sector I had made arrangements to finish free!

Freedom was another delusion, but like I said who can live without them, I wandered on it was so much easier to like, to appreciate, a foreign environment one unsullied by memories. I was filled with easy wonder: at the wood in the buildings, at the precise hue of the sky, even at the people under the portable shade of their low technology wide brimmed sun hats as they moved along - not too fast - as moving generates heat. It smelt, and felt different as well so many strange aromas; given the locale I wondered if some might not be vaguely narcotic. There were some very funky plants growing here also engineered with very peculiar properties it was a hothouse in more ways than one. That fitted the place too the Arch Fallen Angel called Jorac had taken no part in the drugs industry - not even profiteering off space weed - or so it was said, but their were rumours Tur his successor had fallen in that regard as a result of his on planet following - his so called cult!

I wondered what that would be like to be worshipped as an infernal being even if it was playacting a role - did people really believe - why do some people look for leaders? Why were some people desperate to be led? I always found any yoke repressive even the paternal one then again my father had run the household like he ran his corporation with almost militaristic efficiency, we were all his: economic soldiers, his assets, even his children. Maybe my desire for freedom was born long before my captivity, maybe my captivity had begun long before the kidnap. Maybe the kidnap had really been my release: good from bad, bad from the good that fascinated me as well.

Maybe that was why I was here? Maybe here I could find an understanding an appreciation that some dark things have to happen? That without death there can be no life, and real freedom can only be won by escaping from captivity even if it is only the self installed cage of our perceptions that we break loose from for a short time? Well travel was always good for that - in this regard - we are all tourists just passing through but we often forget, and grow jaded!

the end.
Last edited by Paranoid66 on Tue, 6. May 08, 13:11, edited 1 time in total.
Beyond 'X' Far future (Fanfic): BkI BkII BkIII

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98.8 percent sure that anyone who is 100 percent certain needs re-educating for the sake of humanity.
Snowship
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Post by Snowship »

intriguing perspective there Paranoid.

Although for a lead up it doesn't go very far. but as a musing of a man it was ok.

Liked the descriptiveness :D
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Paranoid66
Posts: 4643
Joined: Tue, 19. Apr 05, 10:59
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Post by Paranoid66 »

Yes I changed the subtitle, as it was really just a character sketch. A dip into somebody passing through without a plot as such, which seemed to fit as it made the reader a sort of - just visiting - tourist as well!

It came out of the fact that I have personally often felt less than well disposed towards the country of my birth. I was thinking about how that can taint your entire perception, and how you can open up elsewhere.

The good from bad, and bad from good also fascinates me history seems to be full of examples of this. Wonderfully confusing - it’s all questions, and no definite answers!
Beyond 'X' Far future (Fanfic): BkI BkII BkIII

Never more than 98.8 percent sure about anything.
98.8 percent sure that anyone who is 100 percent certain needs re-educating for the sake of humanity.

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