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FOLLOW THE NOSFERATU
* CHAPTER 1 * - Rainfall
* 4 * - Worst Nightmare
NOS / CORE / FALL:
FALL looks VERITAS up and down judgingly, assessing her from mere physical presence. As a newbie, that isn't much.
Heaving a long-suffering sigh, FALL gestures to a jack-in point as she gets out of her chair.
FALL (bossy): "Sit down, then. Might as well get comfortable."
FALL waits for VERITAS to sit in the chair before strapping her in, and easing the needle into her head with more care than
she's known for. After, she repeats the actions on CRYSTAL.
FALL (moving back to her station): "So! Veritas! What training are you used to?"
NOS / CORE / VERITAS:
VERITAS fidgets in her chair a little, but forces herself to stop under FALL's scrutiny.
"Well," she answers, "I've done the jump and the real world stuff. And I've worked with defense testing, so all the
martial arts uploads are done with, as well as most of the inert weapons... So I need gun training, I think" - a quick glance at CRYSTAL -
"And agent training, too. I dunno what else. But yeah most of the defense is done... and I actually brought some upload disks with me -
mods I did on the dojo and stuff..."
She cuts off quickly at the realization that she's rambled quite a bit. You've gone this far...
"I'll do anything you need me to," she says with a smile, and gets comfortable in her chair.
NOS / CORE / FALL:
FALL quirks an eyebrow at VERITAS' babbling.
FALL (in disbelief): "Gun training."
FALL exchanges a quick glance with CRYSTAL.
FALL (condescendingly): "All you have to do with a gun is point and shoot. I've got something far more entertaining for you."
FALL reaches for a nearby disk and loads it onto the system.
FALL (cheerfully): "You're gonna love this, right Crys?"
FALL hits the entry key and her two crewmates are loaded into the CONSTRUCT.
NOS / CORE / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL decided not to interrupt VERITAS, since she has to learn to communicate with every member of the crew and
experience how to handle them. Especially FALL.
She listens to the dialogue between the First Officer FALL and VERITAS, and smirks as FALL glances at her, disbelieving about the
gun training. Yes, this is a side of FALL she likes. Her grumbling humour. Listening to her lines about the gun training makes CRYSTAL grin.
CRYSTAL almost laughs out loudly, but tries to control herself as not to hurt VERITAS.
CRYSTAL watches FALL's moves curiously, as she puts the disk into the computer. Anything may come.
CRYSTAL enjoyed all Construct-programs.
"You're gonna love this, right Crys?" FALL asks.
CRYSTAL looks at her waiting, excited, for what their operator might have found out for this time.
She surmises something from FALL's look. It tells her she won't be disappointed. FALL might be rude sometimes, but she was a damn good operator,
who knew each member's affinities in the Construct. So CRYSTAL considered this smirk as a sign for her. Her mood's getting more delighted and
she feels the adrenaline rising in her blood.
CRYSTAL closes her eyes, feels the slight pain in her head, that means she has been jacked in.
So let the dance begin, she remarks in her mind.
NOS / STARBOARD GUNS / ANDROMEDA:
ANDROMEDA gets up, feeling silly.
It wasn't like her to break down this way. At least, she can blame her mood on the sentinel attack.
She gets back to work, and this time manages to fix the gun post.
ANDROMEDA wipes her face, breathes deeply, and hoping that no one will notice she cried, she walks to the cockpit.
Poor J. He wanted to be replaced over an hour ago...
NOS / COCKPIT / ANDROMEDA:
"J, I fixed the turrets that needed adjustment... Want me to pilot?"
NOS / COCKPIT / JAYMAN:
"Thanks."
JAYMAN turns down the volume on the pulsing electronic melodies, and turns to ANDROMEDA over his shoulder.
"I'll be sure to check the aft station," he smiles with one playful eyebrow raised.
Then secretly searching for any sign of sadness in his lieutenant's dark eyes, JAYMAN's face darkens in concern...
He couldn't find anything, but nevertheless, it was a good time to talk.
"Sure," JAYMAN nods, and gestures to the co-pilot chair to his right. "But only if you let me rest in my chair..." (he leans back)
"and you tell me... what's troubling you..."
NOS / COCKPIT / ANDROMEDA:
ANDROMEDA shifts in her chair and clears her throat before turning back to look at her captain.
"Oh... I... Nothing really," she smiles an uncomfortable smile.
"What do you mean?"
NOS / CORE / FALL:
FALL, one leg slung over the arm of her chair, dials CRYSTAL's phone in the CONSTRUCT and waits for her to pick up.
NOS / COCKPIT / JAYMAN:
At last, JAYMAN can see in ANDROMEDA's uncomfortable reaction that indeed there's something bothering her...
"NOW I know there's something troubling you..."
With the rhythmic beats still low in the background, JAYMAN rubs his hands together to warm up his cold fingers.
He looks away to the various ship monitors, then looks up ahead down the dim tunnel.
JAYMAN says gently: "Watch the turn up ahead.. it gets pretty tight..."
Then he returns to the subject.
"Is it someone in Zion? Or maybe someone on the ship?"
JAYMAN keeps his eyes ahead, letting her answer...
NOS / COCKPIT / ANDROMEDA:
ANDROMEDA tilts the ship and they pass the turn.
Her eyes fixed on the tunnel ahead, she answers: "I'm fine. There's nothing. There's noone."
The last words were difficult ones to say. But they were true, in a way.
"We will be in broadcast depth soon enough. I don't want you worrying over me. We have enough things to take care of without this."
Will he believe me and leave it alone?
She narrows her eyes as if she were concentrating on piloting the Nos.
NOS / COCKPIT / JAYMAN:
JAYMAN looks sideways at ANDROMEDA, searching for anything more...
But for now, his exhaustion growing heavier upon him, he agrees: "That's okay... you're right... we'll leave it alone."
JAYMAN yawns and stretches back, reclining his chair several degrees backward.
"I've plotted our intended course on the monitor," he points to the red lines and dots on one of the flickering screens
between them. "We should be at the first red dot in less than 50 minutes."
JAYMAN eases into his reclined chair and pulls his old black cap over his tired eyes.
"I'll be right here if you need anything..." his voice fades, "or need someone to talk to..."
And finally, JAYMAN allows himself the luxury of closing his eyes, immersing himself in the relaxing background music,
and drifting into a brief but peaceful nap...
NOS / CORE / CRYSTAL:
In the CONSTRUCT...
CRYSTAL opens her eyes. A curious smile is playing on her lips. She looks around, the familiar whiteness of the Construct is
surrounding her. But something breaks its monotony.
CRYSTAL giggles seeing what FALL has prepared for them. A nice, cherry-red Mazda is standing on her left, behind VERITAS.
Now everything was clear. FALL was right, she'll like this training. Driving is her favourite and special skill. She'd go for a ride anytime.
She loves the feeling of driving, ruling the car, rushing freely, and raising the volume of the CD player to the maximum.
CRYSTAL glances at VERITAS.
"Have you ever driven?" CRYSTAL asks her, still smiling.
Suddenly, her phone beeps.
That must be FALL, she thinks, and answers the call.
"Operator?"
NOS / CORE / FALL:
FALL: "Call me Father Christmas. If you've been a good girl, tell me what you want."
NOS / CONSTRUCT / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL laughs, almost dropping the phone. She is glad for FALL to got back to her old self again.
"Well, I think I was," she smirks, glancing at VERITAS.
"So, Father Christmas, would you be so kind to launch a first-level driving course for us?" CRYSTAL jokes along.
She really likes FALL's humour.
"Basic skills, easy mode, daytime, suburb, normal weather."
NOS / CORE / FALL:
FALL searches through the hard drives for the appropriate program, and finds one called California Dreamin'.
She stops for a moment, stares at the file on the screen as long-hidden memories bubble to the surface.
Suddenly the headphones crackle, interrupting thoughts of a lost life and family, and FALL pulls herself back to the present.
FALL: "Orange County, coming right up."
NOS / COCKPIT / ANDROMEDA:
ANDROMEDA pilots the ship through the darkness. The somewhat bouncy music is a contrast to her silent captain,
sleeping in the chair beside her.
"Thirty minutes to broadcast depth," she mutters to herself quietly.
NOS / CONSTRUCT / VERITAS:
VERITAS stares at the new scenery around her.
"Let's just say it's not my specialty..." she replies to CRYSTAL.
Silently she is disappointed. She was really hoping to show the Nos what she was made of, and instead... well,
they'd definitely have a show, though it seemed to her like that was all FALL really wanted.
"You or me?" she asks CRYSTAL, just to make sure. She's not sure she wants to know what FALL is telling her... but
CRYSTAL's laughing is enough to make her uneasy.
VERITAS stands next to the drivers' door, one hand resting on the car. At least it was red.
NOS / CONSTRUCT / CRYSTAL:
"Right,"' CRYSTAL says to FALL, then ends the call, and puts her phone back into her pocket.
Their surroundings change, and they are in the middle of an empty road in a suburb. Some old, gray, medium-sized buildings
emerge out of the ground. A rusty-coloured hill is seen in the distance. That's where the place's name came from.
Her look serious again, CRYSTAL turns to VERITAS.
"You think I'm the one who needs some training?' she asks back ironically to VERITAS' question, and
walks to the passenger's door.
"Get in!" she looks at her firmly, opens up the door and takes her seat.
NOS / CONSTRUCT / VERITAS:
VERITAS quietly curses before piling in.
"Whatever happened to being polite?" she mumbles, pulling on her seatbelt. She has a feeling that she'll get made fun of
for that too, but perhaps CRYSTAL doesn't know how bad of a driver she really is...
Then again, perhaps she does.
"Just start, eh?" VERITAS says with a false smile and revs the engine perhaps a little louder than she intends.
But this isn't the time to worry. VERITAS knows that they're all watching her for weakness. So now's the time to fake it.
NOS / CONSTRUCT / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL fastens her seatbelt, and looks at VERITAS. She seems a bit scared, the lieutenant commander notes.
"Just take it easy!" she says, encouraging.
"This will be a simple ride now... to refresh your basic driving skills. All you need is to focus, and control this lady."
She manages a slight smile.
"OK, let's go!" CRYSTAL orders, averting her look at the road in front of them.
NOS / COCKPIT / JAYMAN:
JAYMAN drifts further into his peaceful nap...
He dreams of his oblivious adolescence... before he ever knew of the Matrix, Zion, or the war... before he was unplugged...
when he was known as Jacob Mandara...
"Hey Jayman!" Sean calls to Jacob amidst the chattering din of the high-school cafeteria.
"Sean!" Jacob replies as his best friend Sean brings his lunch tray to the table.
Sean smiles, "How'd you do on the physics test?"
Jacob grins back. "Aced it."
"Dammit! What'd you get for number 14?"
"Number 14? The mass of the rock? I got 145.5 kilograms."
"Shit! I put 135.5... Dammit!"
Jacob laughs. "I was just foolin'... I got 135.5."
"You asshole," Sean laughs. He laughs as all best friends laugh... laughing warm and loud... "Hahahaha!"
And suddenly, Sean's laughing turns into crying... Jacob's lonely crying... The cafeteria fades into a graveyard as the
sun sets behind Sean's granite headstone... When Sean died, everything changed... Jacob changed...
Jacob's crying turns into Andy's crying... Why was she crying? He never saw her cry before...
The granite stone grows into a huge shadow, a horrible shadow!... The terrible multi-legged shadow of a sentinel!...
It focusses its red laser-eyes towards her, towards him, rattling towards him!
Jacob/Andy runs away... running... running... The shadow rattles closer, louder, laughing cold and loud! "Hahahaha!"
"No! Noooo!" Jacob/Andy screams... running... and he/she falls... falls into his/her grave...
Falling... falling forever...
"Noooo!"
NOS / COCKPIT / ANDROMEDA:
JAYMAN's shout startles ANDROMEDA.
She gently touches his sholder.
"J...? Are you okay? What are you dreaming of?"
NOS / CONSTRUCT / VERITAS:
VERITAS says nothing in reply and starts with a jolt.
Fake it, she tells herself, You know what you're doing, right?
Unfortunately, Veritas never drove a manual transmission.
20 miles, ease the clutch... or was that pump the clutch?
"Ah, fuck," Veritas whispers as the car starts grinding.
VERITAS lets go of the gas entirely and changes gears, then slams on the gas again as the car lurches forward and
loses transmission.
What a show...
But the car is still moving. And as long as it's moving, she's still in the game.
NOS / CONSTRUCT / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL stares at VERITAS with a shock as the car starts to grind. She notices her desperate endeavour to rule the vehicle,
and hears her cursing too.
She clings to her seat instinctively as the Mazda begins to lurch. She swallows, her wide eyes wanders to VERITAS again.
"That must have been long ago..." she remarks. Her voice is ironic, astonished and pitiful at the same time.
CRYSTAL wasn't used to seeing driving troubles even at the first training. Newbies usually had the basic skills concerning how to drive a car,
and she hadn't had to show them anything from that stuff.
"Are you sure you can handle this?' CRYSTAL asks, cautiously, searching VERITAS' look.
NOS / CONSTRUCT / VERITAS:
"I've done this before," VERITAS says through gritted teeth, "I'm just not very good at it."
Finally she successfully moves into gear two, and they start to move more smoothly. Perhaps she'll keep the
acceleration level to a low for now...
"Do we have to drive manual?" She asks, looking to CRYSTAL.
Strangely enough the car doesn't swerve, but stays on its path. After a moment, she brings her attention back to the road.
California was pretty.
NOS / CORE / FALL:
FALL's eyes are glued to the streaming code that forms the CONSTRUCT, her expression of shock and concern.
Even emotions translate into code to be read, and with the throbbing heart rate of VERITAS and CRYSTAL at their jack-in points, FALL is
understandably worried.
Probably a good thing we booted up driving.
VERITAS seems to be having more trouble than most do, but it isn't unheard of for newbies to be a little rusty,
especially if they were released at a very young age.
FALL decides to call CRYSTAL. She taps in the commands on her keyboard and listens to the ringing in her headphones.
NOS / CONSTRUCT / CRYSTAL:
CRYSTAL stares anxious at VERITAS. She feels that VER has troubles with driving, but won't admit it.
She is similar to herself, CRYSTAL notes, doesn't give up easily, whatever it may take.
CRYSTAL feels uncomfortable. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to push VERITAS into this ride without any uploads of the basic skills.
They have passed some buildings. The road leads to a less built up place. The desert's rusty colour and the hill can be seen fully.
CRYSTAL loved this side of the suburb. The contrast of the gray buildings and the red, nature-created environment always
amazed her. Even if it was only a simulation. But it was damn realistic.
"Just take it easy..." CRYSTAL suggests quietly, still unsure about what to do.
Shall she ask FALL to take them back? She is afraid that VERITAS' desperate endeavour to prove herself might endanger the training.
Her phone's ringing interrupts her thoughts. Has FALL also noticed what she has, she wonders.
"Yes?" she answers the call, not taking her look off VERITAS.
NOS / COCKPIT / JAYMAN:
"Noooo!"
As Jacob/Andy falls, he/she feels one of the sentinel's cold legs grasp his right shoulder. He/she grabs it, and tries to rip it away
with all of his strength!
"Aaaah!" he/she shouts.
Then he hears a soft melodic voice in the distance. "J? Are you okay?"
And all of a sudden...
Captain JAYMAN wakes up, his cap tumbling off his startled face onto the steel deck.
"What?" he says, noticing that he's grabbed ANDROMEDA's left forearm, and he lets go.
"Shit," he whispers softly. This time, it's his turn to hold back his thoughts.
"Sorry, Andy..." JAYMAN bends down to pick up and dust off his old cap. "It's nothing, just a bad dream."
Just a fuckin' bad dream, he thinks to himself, just like everything else...
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