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FOLLOW THE NOSFERATU
* CHAPTER 1 * - Rainfall
* 3 * - The Newcomer Awakens
NOS / COCKPIT / ANDROMEDA:
ANDROMEDA smiles at JAYMAN, nods and leaves the cockpit.
NOS / STARBOARD GUNS / ANDROMEDA:
ANDROMEDA cleans up a small part, and places it back, checking to see if that changed anything.
She wipes her forehead and leans back against the cold metal wall.
She is tired of it all. The loneliness will get to you. That's what the Oracle said. Oh well.
ANDROMEDA sighs and gets back to work.
MYSTERY / COCKPIT / RED:
Captain RED hears the message from the Nos and replies.
"Mystery Inc. here. We're about ready to leave. See you when we get home."
RED sounds happy to be moving again, a still target was easier to hit than a moving one.
RED pokes a couple of buttons and then speaks over the ship's intercom.
"Everyone ready? We're leaving."
NOS / COCKPIT / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL stares absently after FALL. She can't see why FALL acts like that. Something isn't right with her. And it must be
more than being troubled with VERITAS or cleaning the floor after her. There were many newbies, similar to VERITAS, who couldn't get used to
their new lives either, and FALL managed to work with them.
CRYSTAL is so deep in her thoughts, that she hardly notices ANDROMEDA leave.
Realizing that she is the last crewmember with JAYMAN in the cockpit, CRYSTAL gets back in reality.
"I'll take care of Veritas and do everything I can to make her ready for duty," she claims, looking at her captain.
She is about to leave, but turns back once again.
"Jay," she says slowly. "Talk to Fall, please. I'm worried about her... As you said, we must work together.
But I fear that it won't be easy if she behaves like that. Veritas needs everyone's help to get on her feet. Fall listens to you...
you're the one who should ask her about what's bothering her..."
CRYSTAL's voice fades, her look is worried.
NOS / QUARTERS #4 / VERITAS:
VERITAS sighs and gets off the bunk bed. She opens the door tentatively, but ventures out into the hall.
Noone's there.
"Captain?" she calls out, nearly a whisper. She's almost relieved when there's no answer, and returns back to her bunk.
But the expedition has been a success, and she's now more confident to walk among her crewmembers.
Perhaps some training would do some good... but again she vacillates.
Instead, she sits on the floor next to the door. An interruption might be welcomed, now. Only time would tell.
NOS / COCKPIT / JAYMAN:
After ANDROMEDA exits, JAYMAN answers the other ship:
"Acknowledged, Mystery. Good luck! Nos out."
JAYMAN leans back in his chair, and sighs once more.
He listens to CRYSTAL's concerns, then replies:
"Crys, we've known Fall a long time, since she and Andy joined us 4 years ago... and we've seen her like this before..."
He looks at the bolts and stains on the metal floor.
"Do you think something's different with her this time? Something on Zion?... I'm asking you because I want Fall to listen
to you too, not just me... she has to trust you too..."
JAYMAN smiles at CRYS, the crewmate he's known the longest -- almost 6 years.
"Come on, go check on Veritas, she can't stay in bed forever, right?"
He turns back to the controls.
"When Andy takes my piloting shift, maybe i'll drop by... if i can stay awake."
JAYMAN laughs softly.
NOS / COCKPIT / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL sighs.
"Honestly I don't know. Right, we've seen Fall acting like that, but... I can't tell why, but I think it's different now...
Her behaviour almost frightens me."
She bows her head.
"Maybe you're right, maybe it has to do with Zion. She has been acting so strange since we left the city..." she wonders.
Then she raises her look to JAYMAN. Her worried look meets his always so self-confident and reassuring one.
His smile comforts her, it always does. JAYMAN was a stable point in her life, during these 6 years on the same ship, in the same crew, working together.
CRYSTAL was grateful for his support and understanding, something she hadn't gotten in her old life in the Matrix. There had been noone who could
understand her, would care about her. But now, she had the Nos and its crew. They were her family.
She can't help but smiling back at him.
"Don't worry about Veritas, I'll take care her... You need some sleep," she says. The last sentence is more of an order than advice.
CRYSTAL smiles softly and leaves to check how VERITAS is doing.
NOS / QUARTERS #4 / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL stops in front of VERITAS' door. She sighs. She truly hopes that VERITAS feels better now.
CRYSTAL felt sorry for her, she knew what VER might go through, just as she remembered her first days after being unplugged.
CRYSTAL knocks on the door.
NOS / STOCK ROOM / FALL:
FALL crawls into the small room with the low ceiling, beneath ENGINEERING. The terrible noise from above her is deafening, and
creates a shrill ringing in her ears. Her continuous muttering is drowned out, but there is no one there to hear it.
FALL is there to be away from the others so she can calm down.
FALL (muttering): "Damn squiddies! They'll get us one day, mark my words. That was too close."
FALL rummages through the accumulated junk of former crew members, looking for anything useful to clean up the mess
that the Zion engineers created.
FALL (grumbling): "I'll fix that fucking mess if it's the last thing I do."
The tools she needs are already in the CORE, but here FALL has a chance to get a grip on her anger.
FALL: "Can't believe he didn't agree with me. We'll be killed, all of us. Squiddies'll come and shred us for spaghetti bolognese.
Just what I always wanted to be - dinner for a fucking Italian..."
FALL sighs, wiping sweat off her forehead. It is incredibly hot in the small room, and her back is starting to ache from being
hunched over. Her hands are filthy with dust and grease, which has now been rubbed across her face.
FALL gathers her newly-discovered tools and, coughing heavily, retreats from the sauna-like room. Her ears buzz as she
walks away from the noise, but she feels much better now. Sentinels have always had an adverse reaction on her, multiplied if the ship is spotted
as it had been on this occasion.
FALL (resigned): "Suppose I should get Veritas those pills, even if they do no Goddamn good."
FALL makes her way to the INFIRMARY to get them.
NOS / QUARTERS #4 / VERITAS:
VERITAS' heart rate instantly quickens at the sound of the knocking, but she calms herself down.
You've been waiting for this, she reminds herself.
She opens the door wide and is glad to see CRYSTAL there with a smile on her face.
"Hey Crystal," she greets, leaning against the doorframe. "Ah... I think I'm feeling better now."
She pauses, then laughs awkwardly.
"Acting like your regular newbie, eh?" She jokes, "You'd think I just got unplugged yesterday..."
Soon realizing its irrelevance, VERITAS lets the conversation die, and flashes another somewhat nervous smile at CRYSTAL.
"Anything new?"
NOS / INFIRMARY / FALL:
Peering in one of the cupboards, FALL is dismayed to find everything a complete mess.
FALL: "God, let's hope we don't ever have a damn emergency."
She quickly ruffles through the mass of various pills until she finds the ones in the green-coloured box.
"Green for puke," her rescuers had said when she had first been unplugged.
FALL scowls, before forcing the memory away and inspecting the pills carefully. They aren't growing any mold,
but still she is dubious. With a small sigh, she makes up her mind and pockets the pills.
FALL collects her equipment from where she left them on the floor and heads up to the CORE. She figures CRYSTAL and
VERITAS have to make their way there sometime, so she might as well do some tidying of those accursed wires.
NOS / QUARTERS #4 / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL glances at the floor for a second, thinking about how should she tell her about the recent events.
"While you were resting, we had a serious squiddies attack..." she claims seriously, looking at VERITAS.
"They won't stay away long... Captain Jayman wants you to be ready for the Matrix soon. Very soon."
she emphasizes the last two words. "We need every crewmember to get on with her duties."
Seeing VERITAS' scared expression, CRYSTAL adds softly. "You'll manage it."
She gives her a reassuring look. "I won't tell you it will be easy, but you'll be fine."
She smiles slightly. "I'll help you. And so will the others."
CRYSTAL stares encouragingly at VERITAS.
"So what about starting your training now?" she asks smiling.
NOS / QUARTERS #4 / VERITAS:
VERITAS stares at the wall next to her for a second, then laughs again.
"Wow, I guess I missed a lot."
She nods blankly, but soon gets back to attention.
"Yeah. Training should be fairly quick... all that Zion work, you know. I've already done the jump and the martial arts...
Heck, I even made some of my own... But yeah, I need Agent training, I guess. I don't know what else, really. Is it safe though?"
She stops suddenly, CRYSTAL still watching her.
"A squid attack..." she whispers, half frightened, half enthralled.
This is what she joined up for.
NOS / QUARTERS #4 / CRYSTAL:
"Safe?"
VERITAS' concern makes CRYSTAL smile again.
"The Construct is the safest place on the Nos," she says.
"OK," she corrects herself, thinking of the last experience she had gotten in the simulation-program, thanks to FALL.
"Let's say it's the second safest place after your bunk," she smirks.
"Right." CRYSTAL changes to her serious manner again, knowing there's no time for joking now... duty calls.
"Come on, Fall should be waiting for you to show you the 'Charmed Castle' !"
CRYSTAL leaves the room.
NOS / CATWALKS / FALL:
Metallic hammering echoes throughout the interior of the ship as FALL nails back the loose cables and wires left by the
engineers in Zion. Unconsciously, she hums under her breath, a snatch of a tune half-remembered from the Matrix.
Bang, bang, bang! -- a parallel to the sirens that had sounded at the squiddie attack.
At last, FALL sits back on her heels and admires her work. The cables won't bother anyone anymore, least of all her.
FALL wipes her hands on an already dirty towel and clambers down the ladder to the CORE, a smug smirk quirking her lips.
NOS / CORE (OPS) / FALL:
FALL throws herself into her Operating chair and waits for either VERITAS or broadcast level, whichever comes first.
NOS / CORRIDOR / VERITAS:
VERITAS follows CRYSTAL down the hallway at a quick pace, excited that not only is she going to show her skills in the Construct,
but that she has gathered the courage to face the crew.
"I know the Construct's safe," she says, half laughing, "I used to program them in Zion before I decided to join up...
but can we go in with the squids around?"
But VERITAS is again assured of their safety, and they reach the main deck. FALL is already waiting.
NOS / CORE (OPS) / VERITAS:
"Hey Fall," VERITAS says, "Crystal said that I should get started on my training? I'm not sure what I need...
I've done the jump and most of the defense uploads."
She shifts on her feet nervously, feeling as if CRYSTAL has abandoned her. FALL watches her intensely, and it's a little unsettling.
"I guess I'm ready when you are."
NOS / STARBOARD GUNS / ANDROMEDA:
ANDROMEDA sits in the chair with a pleased expression. She activates the gun post and checks the aiming.
"Shit," she mutters. The target is still off with the target alignment.
ANDROMEDA gets up and starts to open up the damn gun post, when she just leans back on the wall, and quietly falls to the floor.
She sits there, knees pulled close to her and hands around them, with her head buried under them, for a few minutes... sobbing quietly.
NOS / COCKPIT / JAYMAN:
As CRYSTAL heads out of the cockpit, JAYMAN replies: "Thanks, Crys... I know." JAYMAN did need sleep... but not just yet.
After following the nearby grid D-6 passageways surrounding the Argo and Mystery, to monitor the
area for any further sentinel activity, JAYMAN is glad to change course, and head south towards grid D-4. As he usually
did, he would stop at a new broadcast location with each entry into the Matrix... to keep the sentinels guessing.
Over the following days, maybe weeks, he planned to stop-and-hop further south to grid D-4.
Over that period, he and his crew needed to evaluate the high-school "potential" named Cynthia Peterson, an orphan, a young and bright loner, and a
very curious internet surfer with some very curious questions about the nature of reality.
As the EM engines of the Nosferatu hums louder, JAYMAN spins the century-old ship around, and keys the volume of his
trance music. While the ancient hovercraft drifts south, JAYMAN drifts into the musical notes in thought...
JAYMAN thinks to himself: "Fall... she doesn't seem any more rude than usual... but with sentinels, plus leaving Zion, I don't know..."
(he shakes his head slightly) "Crys... I hope she can handle both Fall and Veritas..." (he smiles) "Veritas... so confident... Zion training is nothing
compared to the terrors that Fall and Crys can throw at her..." (he chuckles) "... and Andy..." (his smile fades into concern) "... Andy... something
about her eyes... she seems... she seems sadder... why?..." And recognizing Andy's sadness, JAYMAN begins to feel his loneliness and tiredness
slowly and painfully return...
Suddenly, JAYMAN jumps. Above the music, a metallic banging from outside the cockpit -- Bang, bang, bang –- rings in his ears.
In his mind, he yells "Fall!"
JAYMAN shakes his head but is thankful for being kept awake. Despite the sentinel attack, they should be at the first broadcast
position within an hour.
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