Chopper
Elite
- Joined
- Jul 4, 2006
- Posts
- 3,934
- Location
- Airstrip 1
- Society
- GloryHound Irregulars
- Avatar Name
- Chopper McHelicopter
Joran had chosen the spot carefully and the setting was perfect. It was another beautiful day in Eudoria but of course at this time of year every day was a beautiful day. The sun was high in the cloudless sky and its warmth caressed his skin. From this hilltop some way south east of the Troy settlement there was a spectacular view of the ocean to the East, and the mountain ranges far to the West. A day of rest in a place like this might alone have been enough to bring a smile to his face, but Joran had even more reason to feel joy on this particular day. He could hardly believe it himself, and once again he turned his head to make sure he was not imagining it.
But no, it was real. Keira was there with him, her eyes peacefully viewing the same scenery that his eyes were enjoying. Sensing his gaze she turned her face to his, and her already blissful smile grew even warmer. The landscape around them seemed to fade as they both stared dreamily at the face of their Love, and all they could see was each other.
Just a few years ago they could not have imagined this day would ever come. Keira’s father had been a great warrior and had become a wealthy and important land-owner. Joran worked the land on one of his estates, the estate that Keira was charged with managing. From the first moment they laid eyes on each other they both knew. The connection between them had been palpable. One of the other labourers swears to this day that he saw actual sparks.
Her father of course was far from happy about the match. He had dragged himself up through the social ranks first with his courage on the battlefield, and later with hard work and clever investment until he finally felt that he had bettered himself, and his family. He was damned if he was going to let some scrap of a labourer sully his family name, or his daughter.
The old man did everything in his power to keep them apart. He put Joran to work on another estate and made sure that the lad was working the farthest reaches of the land, desolate outposts where no-one would go unless they were ordered there. Or, of course, unless they were desperately in love with the handsome lad charged with turning it into useable soil.
Time after time Keira would evade her father’s over-protective clutches and run to Joran’s arms. Time after time her father would drag her back to the house, with even sterner warnings of the consequences of her disobeying him again, all to no avail.
Eventually, in desperation, he had sent the boy to work his newly acquired estate on Calypso, thousands of light-years from the home world. Good workers were almost impossible to find, and for all his flaws Joran was a good worker. For his own part Joran had no choice but to go. The money he earned kept his family alive, and no-one would hire him if he was sacked from a Land-owners employ.
He had begged and begged Keira to run away and come with him, but she had refused. What would be the point? The old man knew exactly where she would be, and would just come for her again and again. Eventually he would tire of the game and Joran would lose his job, or possibly even his life. Grudgingly, and with tears coursing down his face, the heart-broken youngster had agreed with the wisdom of her words.
The first year on Calypso was the worst. Heart-Break is not a great inspiration in a new place and amongst new people, and Joran felt totally alone. Gradually though he had found a place for himself in the small community in South Eudoria. He worked hard, made friends and built himself a home. By the time he was 22 he had risen to a position of responsibility and was well liked by all.
Keira had found out where he was and wrote to him every week. He told her all about his life, and his home and his well regarded position in the growing community on Calypso, and eventually her father had to concede that his daughters love for this man was not going to die, that he was making her miserable by keeping her from him and that in fairness the scruffy lad had turned into a man he could be proud to call son-in-law. The hug she gave her father near broke his spine, but the smile on her face let him know that the decision was the right one.
And now she was here, with him. His happiness was complete. On her second day in her new home they had packed a picnic and walked had in hand to this perfect spot.
Joran had built a fire while Keira spread out a blanket.
She thought this was the most beautiful place she had ever seen.
He thought she was even more beautiful.
Once the food and the wine was all gone they made love together on the blanket, under the sun, and now were sitting with their arms round each other, gazing at the incredible scenery laid out before them.
Sunlight was glinting off the ripples on the sea in front of them and a shoal of rippersnappers was just visible beneath the water. A gentle breeze was stirring the trees, and somewhere close by a Gibnib was chirruping quietly among the long grasses. Joran pointed off to the south east, and Keira could see a herd of tall and majestic Allophyl, knee deep in the river, drinking with their strange long tentacles.
“Are we safe here” she asked, looking with mild concern at the huge beasts.
“We’re quite safe, my love” he reassured her. “The Allos don’t stray to far from their river, Gibnibs are harmless creatures, and those fish would be as lost out of the water as I would be without you”. Her worried frown dissolved, and she leaned in to kiss him.
They didn’t see the creature until it was almost on top of them, and it attacked without warning, or provocation. It was an awful looking thing, quite alien to Keira’s untravelled eyed, and she recoiled in horror. A head, two arms and two legs were all there, but it bore no other similarity to any civilised life form whatsoever. It’s skin texture was hideous to behold and it wore a few pieces of mismatched armour to cover its foul-looking body. But the thing that froze Keira’s blood was the semi-automatic BLP weapon it carried, and was now firing at them. Bullets screamed through the air on either side of the couple. They had been given almost no time to react and as they dived for cover one of the red-hot projectiles ricocheted off a nearby rock and embedded itself in Keira’s arm. She cried out in pain and dropped to the floor.
Seeing his Love hit by a bullet from this creatures weapon Joran’s vision misted red and he forgot his fear. After all he’d been through there was no way his happiness was going to be snatched away by this Thing. He grabbed the axe he’d used to chop firewood and charged, his blood-curdling warcry of hatred piecing the air.
Bullets slammed into him, shoulder, stomach, thigh, but such was his adrenalin that he hardly even noticed. All he knew was “Stop shooting at my Love!”
The creature’s weapon was no match for Jorans rage. Blow after slicing blow rained down again and again on the beast, even after it had stopped moving. Joran only stopped swinging once he realised the blade was only hitting bare rock. Relieved but exhausted he tossed the axe aside and sank to his knees.
Keira rushed to him and held him, kissing his face. Tearing up the blanket she began cleaning and bandaging his wounds.
“What about you?” he asked “That thing shot you.”
“It’s nothing, just a flesh-wound, I’ll be fine. Let’s get you cleaned up. I don’t know what I’d have done without you here Joran my love, you saved me. That monster shot you up pretty bad, but you’ll live. You’ll have some scars, but you’ll also have a great story to tell our children. What was that thing?”
Joran told what he knew while Keira tended his wounds.
“I’ve encountered them before. I can handle one ok, no matter what fiendish weapon they carry, and they seem to have a few. A crowd of them might give me some trouble but they’re usually alone. The only worrying thing is that their numbers appear to be on the increase, and I swear their getting more and more cunning. That one’s armour was stronger than I’ve ever seen on one before.
Now and then they turn up in great numbers at Hadesheim, and it’s absolute carnage. I’ve never yet joined the taskforce that go there to meet them and deal with them, but perhaps I should. I’ve always been happier to stay in my little community.
Our little Community”
She smiled at the thoughtful correction, and helped him to his feet.
“Do they have a name?” she asked.
The Overseer says they’re called “Humans.”
“Humans… I’ll remember to avoid them. Come on, let’s go home.”
Lovingly Joran smiled into her beautiful eyes and stroked the mottled skin of her perfectly bald head.
Then hand in hand they walked back to the safety of the Orb.
But no, it was real. Keira was there with him, her eyes peacefully viewing the same scenery that his eyes were enjoying. Sensing his gaze she turned her face to his, and her already blissful smile grew even warmer. The landscape around them seemed to fade as they both stared dreamily at the face of their Love, and all they could see was each other.
Just a few years ago they could not have imagined this day would ever come. Keira’s father had been a great warrior and had become a wealthy and important land-owner. Joran worked the land on one of his estates, the estate that Keira was charged with managing. From the first moment they laid eyes on each other they both knew. The connection between them had been palpable. One of the other labourers swears to this day that he saw actual sparks.
Her father of course was far from happy about the match. He had dragged himself up through the social ranks first with his courage on the battlefield, and later with hard work and clever investment until he finally felt that he had bettered himself, and his family. He was damned if he was going to let some scrap of a labourer sully his family name, or his daughter.
The old man did everything in his power to keep them apart. He put Joran to work on another estate and made sure that the lad was working the farthest reaches of the land, desolate outposts where no-one would go unless they were ordered there. Or, of course, unless they were desperately in love with the handsome lad charged with turning it into useable soil.
Time after time Keira would evade her father’s over-protective clutches and run to Joran’s arms. Time after time her father would drag her back to the house, with even sterner warnings of the consequences of her disobeying him again, all to no avail.
Eventually, in desperation, he had sent the boy to work his newly acquired estate on Calypso, thousands of light-years from the home world. Good workers were almost impossible to find, and for all his flaws Joran was a good worker. For his own part Joran had no choice but to go. The money he earned kept his family alive, and no-one would hire him if he was sacked from a Land-owners employ.
He had begged and begged Keira to run away and come with him, but she had refused. What would be the point? The old man knew exactly where she would be, and would just come for her again and again. Eventually he would tire of the game and Joran would lose his job, or possibly even his life. Grudgingly, and with tears coursing down his face, the heart-broken youngster had agreed with the wisdom of her words.
The first year on Calypso was the worst. Heart-Break is not a great inspiration in a new place and amongst new people, and Joran felt totally alone. Gradually though he had found a place for himself in the small community in South Eudoria. He worked hard, made friends and built himself a home. By the time he was 22 he had risen to a position of responsibility and was well liked by all.
Keira had found out where he was and wrote to him every week. He told her all about his life, and his home and his well regarded position in the growing community on Calypso, and eventually her father had to concede that his daughters love for this man was not going to die, that he was making her miserable by keeping her from him and that in fairness the scruffy lad had turned into a man he could be proud to call son-in-law. The hug she gave her father near broke his spine, but the smile on her face let him know that the decision was the right one.
And now she was here, with him. His happiness was complete. On her second day in her new home they had packed a picnic and walked had in hand to this perfect spot.
Joran had built a fire while Keira spread out a blanket.
She thought this was the most beautiful place she had ever seen.
He thought she was even more beautiful.
Once the food and the wine was all gone they made love together on the blanket, under the sun, and now were sitting with their arms round each other, gazing at the incredible scenery laid out before them.
Sunlight was glinting off the ripples on the sea in front of them and a shoal of rippersnappers was just visible beneath the water. A gentle breeze was stirring the trees, and somewhere close by a Gibnib was chirruping quietly among the long grasses. Joran pointed off to the south east, and Keira could see a herd of tall and majestic Allophyl, knee deep in the river, drinking with their strange long tentacles.
“Are we safe here” she asked, looking with mild concern at the huge beasts.
“We’re quite safe, my love” he reassured her. “The Allos don’t stray to far from their river, Gibnibs are harmless creatures, and those fish would be as lost out of the water as I would be without you”. Her worried frown dissolved, and she leaned in to kiss him.
They didn’t see the creature until it was almost on top of them, and it attacked without warning, or provocation. It was an awful looking thing, quite alien to Keira’s untravelled eyed, and she recoiled in horror. A head, two arms and two legs were all there, but it bore no other similarity to any civilised life form whatsoever. It’s skin texture was hideous to behold and it wore a few pieces of mismatched armour to cover its foul-looking body. But the thing that froze Keira’s blood was the semi-automatic BLP weapon it carried, and was now firing at them. Bullets screamed through the air on either side of the couple. They had been given almost no time to react and as they dived for cover one of the red-hot projectiles ricocheted off a nearby rock and embedded itself in Keira’s arm. She cried out in pain and dropped to the floor.
Seeing his Love hit by a bullet from this creatures weapon Joran’s vision misted red and he forgot his fear. After all he’d been through there was no way his happiness was going to be snatched away by this Thing. He grabbed the axe he’d used to chop firewood and charged, his blood-curdling warcry of hatred piecing the air.
Bullets slammed into him, shoulder, stomach, thigh, but such was his adrenalin that he hardly even noticed. All he knew was “Stop shooting at my Love!”
The creature’s weapon was no match for Jorans rage. Blow after slicing blow rained down again and again on the beast, even after it had stopped moving. Joran only stopped swinging once he realised the blade was only hitting bare rock. Relieved but exhausted he tossed the axe aside and sank to his knees.
Keira rushed to him and held him, kissing his face. Tearing up the blanket she began cleaning and bandaging his wounds.
“What about you?” he asked “That thing shot you.”
“It’s nothing, just a flesh-wound, I’ll be fine. Let’s get you cleaned up. I don’t know what I’d have done without you here Joran my love, you saved me. That monster shot you up pretty bad, but you’ll live. You’ll have some scars, but you’ll also have a great story to tell our children. What was that thing?”
Joran told what he knew while Keira tended his wounds.
“I’ve encountered them before. I can handle one ok, no matter what fiendish weapon they carry, and they seem to have a few. A crowd of them might give me some trouble but they’re usually alone. The only worrying thing is that their numbers appear to be on the increase, and I swear their getting more and more cunning. That one’s armour was stronger than I’ve ever seen on one before.
Now and then they turn up in great numbers at Hadesheim, and it’s absolute carnage. I’ve never yet joined the taskforce that go there to meet them and deal with them, but perhaps I should. I’ve always been happier to stay in my little community.
Our little Community”
She smiled at the thoughtful correction, and helped him to his feet.
“Do they have a name?” she asked.
The Overseer says they’re called “Humans.”
“Humans… I’ll remember to avoid them. Come on, let’s go home.”
Lovingly Joran smiled into her beautiful eyes and stroked the mottled skin of her perfectly bald head.
Then hand in hand they walked back to the safety of the Orb.
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