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Forced Vacation; Early March 2189 - Delta and Kin
Topic Started: Sep 30 2011, 03:14 AM (132 Views)
Kin
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((Delta's posts are in red and Kin's posts are in blue.))

Swiping his finger across the haptic holodisplay of the tablet computer in his hand, Alan allowed his eyes to drift away from the technical readouts he had pulled off the diagnostic computer of the Coeur d'Alene left behind by the smugglers who had once made use of this complex. Even after nearly a week settling in, he still hadn't grown tire of the scenic vista offered by the observation decks of the prothean resort perched on the edge of the pristine jungle valley, often taking time to admire the view in his free time. For the most part, they had managed to compile a few weeks worth of food supplies thanks to what had already been here after they arrived while the facility's water purification system would cover any possible water needs.

However, the most important find of theirs so far was the UT-54 sitting on the landing pad extending from the cliff-face below that could very well prove to be their way off this planet and back to civilization. The only issue though was that the shuttle craft wasn't in flying condition and that even between the three an attempt to repair it would be largely trial and error given the fact they weren't skilled mechanics used to working on the advanced contragravitic systems used on modern shuttles. But nonfunctional shuttles aside, even Alan had to admit that he wasn't exactly hating his current living conditions after their ordeal. They had food, they had water, and for the time being Kria wasn't shoving a gun in his face intent on hauling him back to the Citadel.

After a few minutes reading through the system data he had pulled off the semi-operational diagnostic systems on the shuttle, the mercenary now chose to put aside the work as he set the tablet down one of the tables in the room and moved to the opposite windows that overlooked the central courtyard of the complex. He wasn't exactly sure where the others were at the moment, most likely working towards either attempting to further investigate the surrounding area for anything that might help them over the coming days; knowing that one thing they had been trying to find was any possible maps of the area on the portable computers scattered about the buildings. It wasn't exactly essential to find given the fact the column of smoke pouring out of the wreckage was still hanging around even though it appeared the fires now were dying out, but it would still help if they could plot a course to follow.


They were going to get home. Every morning Kria woke up and told herself this. Alan was going to finish repairing the shuttle and she would pilot it off this rock. They had yet to establish where, exactly "here" was, but she was confident they'd have the answer sooner or later. She wasn't in any big rush. True, her superiors were probably wondering where the heck she'd gotten off to, but as far as places to be stranded went, Allun'a'morah wasn't terrible.

Allun'a'morah was the name she'd given the planet at the end of the first day. It meant home of the Goddess. Which seemed fitting given that Kria had never seen such a perfect, prestine world before in her life. Sure, Thessia was beautiful, and the unpopulated areas of Illium were rich with plant and animal life, but there was no such thing as "wildlife" anymore. Everything was cultivated, controlled, pruned into a shape best befitting civilized culture. This place hadn't seen civilization in ages. It had visitors, from what they'd discovered in the compound, but nothing to tame the rampant wildlands that sprawled in every direction. Even the animals were strange, feral, and shy of contact. The threat of danger lurked around every corner, hid in the shadows of every tree. It was a thrilling new experience, and Kria took every opportunity to explore it.

It was still early morning when Kria decided that another foray into the unknown was necessary. She'd been meaning to go over what remained of the wreck's navigational data since they'd found the abandoned shuttle. Unfortunately, the smoke had been too thick for days to venture too far into the crash site. Today, when she glanced out over the horizon, she could see that the trail of black sludge twisting its way into the sky had thinned. Her leg was feeling better too. Good enough to try a long walk, but for that she needed a partner.

Early on they had decided that going out alone was a bad idea. Should any of them leave the compound, they had to take a partner. That left one person behind to receive distress calls and guard the base... They weren't sure from what, but having a guard seemed like a good idea too. Kria wasn't fond of leaving Alan alone despite the fact that he had nowhere to run to, so more often than not, it was the former criminal she sought out for her hiking partner.

Kria began her search for Alan in the same place she started every search; the lobby that lead to the landing pad. Alan, being the only one among them with significant knowledge of ship repairs, was the designated shuttle repairman. He seemed to enjoy the task too, often hiding away in the shadows of the old shuttle for hours with nothing but the ship and the view as company. The asari was not disappointed to find that he was in one of his usual spot, gazing out one of the panoramic windows at the awe-inspiring view. She knocked on the wall as she stepped into the lobby, not wanting to startle him.

"Hey, Alan. How're the repairs coming?" A glance at the shuttle told her he was still processing the basic information on the ship. It would be a long while before they got that thing anywhere near operational.


A knock on the wall caught the attention of the former soldier as he turned to find Kria standing on the other side of the room from him, greeting him as he did so "Hey, Alan. How're the repairs coming"

It was still somewhat odd to him that the asari was at least pretending to be pleasant with him, little doubt that had they been starving in a forest right now struggling to keep alive that her attitude towards him would be very different from what it was now. He was pretty sure that she was still somewhat weary of him being unrestrained not to mention carrying a military-grade submachine gun, but given the fact that there weren't really any places to run too and being the only one even remotely capable of attempting to repair the shuttle she seemed to be tolerating it for now.

"Questionable for the moment. a somewhat warm expression forming on his face as he turned to face the woman "Some of the diagnostic sensors seem to be faulty, but it looks like whatever's broken seems to be fixable

He contemplated going over and retrieving the datapad he had been working on to try and give Kria look at what he had pulled off the shuttles computer system, but decided against it as he couldn't even make out the majority of the readouts himself.

"How's the leg doing? Medigel holding up?"


Kria thumped a hand against her wounded leg and was pleased to find that she didn't feel so much as a twinge of pain. It still ached from time to time, but only when she worked it too hard. She knew that the damage that had been done by the rachni would be with her for years to come, but for now her leg was holding her up and that was all she required of it.

"Just fine," she answered while a small smile stretched her lips. It didn't reach as far as her eyes. Though she'd grown slightly more tolerant of Alan over the days of their forced interaction, she hadn't forgotten the purpose that had brought them together. Alan was still a criminal and she was still bound by her duty, even if she no longer had a job to speak of. That was something she'd have to take up with the boss once she got back to the Citadel (and she would. With Alan in tow).

The asari stepped further into the room and looked out beyond the open, airy windows. The shuttle looked lonely as the sole occupant of the landing pad, but it wasn't quite as miserable as it had been when they'd found it. Alan had done a good job of cleaning it up so far, even if he was having trouble getting it off the ground.

"I was thinking of taking another trip out to the wreck. The smoke's clearing up, so I thought it would be a good time to see if we can salvage anything off the nav computer." Kria glanced back to Alan and shrugged one shoulder. "And maybe we could take another stab at hunting. We'll need to figure it out sooner or later."

They had plenty of supplies for the time being, but there was no saying how long it would take to fix the shuttle. Someday the supplies would run out, and then they would need to provide for themselves. The thought still made Kria a touch squeemish, but she was not about to tell the boys that.


Alan paused for a moment as the asari brought up going back out to the wreck as his eyes moved away from Kria for a moment, the man taking a few seconds to think through whether they would actually find something of value to them or not. He had already put together a small pack of supplies for venturing beyond the fence that separated the relative safety of the complex from the jungles around them, and given he might get a chance to salvage some personal affects it wasn't exactly like it would be a worthless trip.

"Yeah." he responded as his focus returned to Kria "We can do that."

Turning away as he now began moving towards one of the exits of the room, the mercenary gestured for Kria to follow as he raised his hand in the familiar signal. He had committed most of the hallways and rooms of the facility to memory already as he paused for a split second to ensure that Kria was indeed behind him before continuing following his mental compass towards the exit in which they had stumbled upon a few days ago after wandering through the jungle. For the most part it hadn't been all that difficult to get used to their temporary home, and apart from the sometimes cold feeling given off by the prothean's rather sparse architecture found that he rather enjoyed the place.

It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the small locker room that had been set up by the former occupants of the complex, there being few differences between it's current state and how it appeared when they arrived; the only noticeable change a few bags propped up against the wall filled with a few essential supplies like food and water that would permit an extended trip into the jungle. Sliding open one of the lockers as he stepped in front of the small storage compartment, Alan began to slide his coat off in preparation for their expedition, pausing to examine the heavy cloth jacket and the numerous tears and rips that the crash had added to the already worn piece of clothing. He knew it would most likely need to be replaced once they got off this planet, quietly sighing as he retrieved a few things from the jackets pockets and neatly folded it before placing it in the locker; among them the photograph he had salvaged from his burning quarters almost a week ago.

Within a minute or two he was sufficiently prepared to head out, one of the backpacks now hanging off his shoulders and submachine gun slung off his waist; Alan half-thinking about cutting down his ragged blue jeans into a pair of shorts, but deciding against it fairly quickly.


Kria watched Alan's reaction closely, though she feigned only mild interest in his business. She couldn't allow herself to appear too concerned with the man she'd arrested. After all, once they got off this planet, the first place Alan was headed was a prison cell.

Still, she couldn't miss the way his body reacted to the mention of his own ship. Whether involuntary or not, he'd flinched and looked away. The loss of that old barge still burdened him. She'd been perplexed by his attachment at first, but after watching the way he handled the shuttle, she was beginning to understand.

Machines were more than just devices meant to serve their masters to him. They had personalities and quirks all their own. Alan had known his ship on a personal basis, and she had assisted in destroying it. She was not so soft as to feel pity for a dead ship, but she was beginning to understand Alan better.

Not that she could let him know as much. As far as he was concerned, she was still waiting to slap him in cuffs and hand him off to the Alliance.

"Yeah. We can do that," He responded agreeably. There was no excitement or taunting confidence in his voice as she'd come to expect, which told her he was still thinking about his ship. But a yes was a yes, and Kria was more intent on gathering supplies that might help them escape than dealing with Alan's skeleton-filled closet.

It didn't take long for the pair to grab their meager survival kits and get ready to head out. Kria had already informed Jack of her intention earlier, so the detective would expect her to be gone for some time. Even without Alan along to watch her back, Kria enjoyed going for walks around the compound. The fresh air felt like wine for her lungs and the rich environment was a constantly changing tapestry before her eyes. Everywhere she looked there was something new to discover, something wild and wonderous and wholly alien to the city-raised asari. It was almsot enough to make her doubt the path she'd chosen for herself.

Kria was silent as they began their trek towards the outer fence. She still wore her C-Sec uniform with pride, cleaning and polishing it every day so that the armor shone as if it were new. It had its dents and scratches now, but Kria considered them to be a show of character. The weather made her itch inside the confines of her armor but she saw the discomfort as a way to build up her strength. Whatever the issue, Kria saw a solution. She would not abandon the symbol of her inherited sense of duty no matter how long they remained trapped on Allun'a'morah.

There was that, and the fact that the armor had a built in holster for her pistol, making it easier for her to bring the weapon wherever she went. She still did not trust Alan to hold to their new arrangement, despite the cirumstances.


The perimeter fence was only a short walk away as the two headed out the door, all of a minute or so passing before they reached the outer boundary of the complex with supply kits in tow. As they quickly made their way to the what was essentially the divider between their temporary haven and the untamed jungles, Alan had noticed that the plants that grew on their side of the fence seemed to remain perfectly trimmed and managed despite not having seen a single drone or other form of landscaping tool in the week he had been here; the mercenary now betting that at some point in history the original protheans that had built this place must have been extremely skilled in bioengineering seeing as it was one of the few explanations he could give for the local faunas inability to grow wild. He almost chuckled as he thought about how he had never saw the protheans doing yard work regardless.

As they made their way outside, he decided that he would try to avoid conversation for the most part given that his generally dismissive attitude of many of her core beliefs that usually crept into the topics she talked about seemed to get to Kria. While in another situation he wouldn't make the effort to avoid speaking about what he wanted too, he knew that if there was any time to try an prevent a conflict it was when they were trekking into a forest on an uncharted world when the C-Sec officer had armor and a pistol. Now climbing onto a crate that had dragged out here a few days ago in order to get up and over the security barrier, Aldridge let out a small groan as pulled himself up over the metal fencing and searched for a foothold on one of the slats on the outer face, laying over the top of wall as he offered a hand to the Asari below.


"Thank you," Kria murmured as she took Alan's hand. She was capable of getting over the fence herself, but there was no point in fussing about what she could and could not do when they were on a time limit. Their supplies were limited and their weapons even more so. The fence that protected them had been built for a reason. Kria had heard the noises late at night; the growls and grunts and screeches from night predators. She was not interested in meeting one up close any time soon.

The asari landed on the other side of the fence with a solid thud and a grunt. Her leg twinged irritably, but the pain was tolerable. It was the sort of pain that would be with her for years to come. Possibly the rest of her life. She'd waited too long before applying the medigel, not that she'd really had a choice. She knew it would flare up from time to time, but she could live with it. Provided they ever managed to make it off the planet.

Kria took the lead as they struck out in the direction of the distant smoke funnel. She walked with long strides, hoping to mask the faint limp her jump from the top of the fence had left her with. As she moved, her thoughts turned again to Alan's impact on her life.

The man had made an impression, that was undeniable. He'd escaped her on the Citadel, taunted her with his existance, and nearly escaped her again on Illium. Never had she comitted herself to a persuit the way she had to Alan's capture. It wasn't because he was particularly special. Sure he was on the most wanted list, but so were many criminals. None of which Kria assumed she could handle on her own. Now he was here, trapped with them, and yet he made no attempts to retaliate for all the problems she'd caused for him. That was not how a heartless killer was supposed to behave.

"So do you think we'll find anything?" the asari asked after several minutes had passed in silence. She didn't like the way Alan had grown quiet around her. It made her think he was planning something.
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