I rather like your addition to Empires :) I hadn't given any thought to what might be in the morgue, but you're right, there should be some more clues to what's going on there! You've kept up the slightly creepy atmosphere of the abandoned building really nicely, and building the tension to the point where that last line almost made me jump. Great work (as usual)!
The Solo "We're looking for a pilot," said Duke. They were sat in a 3-star Michelin restaurant, Duke looking distinctly out-of-place in dusty leathers and a torn bandanna that Bruce Springsteen would have drawn the line at. Opposite him the pilot known only as Solo was wearing a three-piece suit, a shirt so white it was hard to look at without sunglasses, and toying with a crystal goblet of wine. "Who's we?" said Solo. He carefully looked at the other two empty chairs. "You got mental problems, bub?" "No," said Duke. He waved a hand idly towards the doors, and cutlery on the tables behind him shivered. "The man at the door is Ookie, he'll be coming with us. And--" "More wine, madam?" said a tall, shiny waiter bending from the waist. "Beep-beep boop-boop beep-thrbbbb," said the side table next to the waiter. The waiter straightened up, something about his stance conveying insultedness. "I know that the gentleman here," a metallic hand swung out and Solo ducked a concussion, "is a gentleman. However a man like him would only entertain female dinner companions, Letter-designate." "He's right, madam," said Solo, his smirk announcing that this joke was never going to get old. "And I pretty much expect them to put out, as well." Duke smiled faintly. "These two robots make up the rest of our party," he said. "Letter-designate and CPU." "Jesus," said Solo. "Ookie, CPU, Letter-designate and Duke. Did you lot get together because your mothers all hated you too much to give you real names? Where do you want to go, and how much money have you got?" "Alderaan, and enough." There was a moment of quiet tension, then Solo nodded. "Fine," he said. "I've got some interests in Alderaan so it suits me to head out that way. Couple of rules though: someone's still got to put out, and it's not going to be a machine. Plus your friend Ookie or Oozie or whatever it was... I'm not having a guy on the ship who wears a bathrobe all the time. He has to get proper clothes." "He's part of a religious order," said Duke quickly, but Solo was faster. "I'm not a church," he said. "Real clothes or he stays behind." "...ok, but we're the only passengers." Solo raised an eyebrow. "Sure," he said. "Shake on it?" Duke nodded, but hesitated. "I heard you had a co-pilot," he said. "Had. He had a bit of an accident," said Solo. "He's now a fur-coat, boots and gloves. Which I have to remember not wear anywhere on Endor."
Ooh, this was a fun little jaunt into a Star Wars universe of your own making. I can't recall - have you explored this territory before? Either way, I'd be quite happy if you chose to do so again :)
3 comments:
Just a heads up - I finally got around to contributing to this month's installment of Empires. Sorry for the ridiculous delay.
I rather like your addition to Empires :) I hadn't given any thought to what might be in the morgue, but you're right, there should be some more clues to what's going on there! You've kept up the slightly creepy atmosphere of the abandoned building really nicely, and building the tension to the point where that last line almost made me jump. Great work (as usual)!
The Solo
"We're looking for a pilot," said Duke. They were sat in a 3-star Michelin restaurant, Duke looking distinctly out-of-place in dusty leathers and a torn bandanna that Bruce Springsteen would have drawn the line at. Opposite him the pilot known only as Solo was wearing a three-piece suit, a shirt so white it was hard to look at without sunglasses, and toying with a crystal goblet of wine.
"Who's we?" said Solo. He carefully looked at the other two empty chairs. "You got mental problems, bub?"
"No," said Duke. He waved a hand idly towards the doors, and cutlery on the tables behind him shivered. "The man at the door is Ookie, he'll be coming with us. And--"
"More wine, madam?" said a tall, shiny waiter bending from the waist.
"Beep-beep boop-boop beep-thrbbbb," said the side table next to the waiter. The waiter straightened up, something about his stance conveying insultedness.
"I know that the gentleman here," a metallic hand swung out and Solo ducked a concussion, "is a gentleman. However a man like him would only entertain female dinner companions, Letter-designate."
"He's right, madam," said Solo, his smirk announcing that this joke was never going to get old. "And I pretty much expect them to put out, as well."
Duke smiled faintly. "These two robots make up the rest of our party," he said. "Letter-designate and CPU."
"Jesus," said Solo. "Ookie, CPU, Letter-designate and Duke. Did you lot get together because your mothers all hated you too much to give you real names? Where do you want to go, and how much money have you got?"
"Alderaan, and enough."
There was a moment of quiet tension, then Solo nodded. "Fine," he said. "I've got some interests in Alderaan so it suits me to head out that way. Couple of rules though: someone's still got to put out, and it's not going to be a machine. Plus your friend Ookie or Oozie or whatever it was... I'm not having a guy on the ship who wears a bathrobe all the time. He has to get proper clothes."
"He's part of a religious order," said Duke quickly, but Solo was faster.
"I'm not a church," he said. "Real clothes or he stays behind."
"...ok, but we're the only passengers."
Solo raised an eyebrow. "Sure," he said. "Shake on it?"
Duke nodded, but hesitated. "I heard you had a co-pilot," he said.
"Had. He had a bit of an accident," said Solo. "He's now a fur-coat, boots and gloves. Which I have to remember not wear anywhere on Endor."
Greg - glad you liked it!
Ooh, this was a fun little jaunt into a Star Wars universe of your own making. I can't recall - have you explored this territory before? Either way, I'd be quite happy if you chose to do so again :)
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