Ens. Serren Tan - Resting Beach Face
David Adams
(( Surface of Denak IX ))
Toran had come up with a quite ingenious plan. They'd pooled their thruster fuel -- that was a fancy way of saying that Toran had given Tan a good chunk of his and Tan had nothing to do with it -- and they were now bouncing along the surface of the low-gravity world, puffs of thruster gas enabling them to coast far further than they otherwise would.
It seemed all the Sevos, no matter who they were, were smart.
It kinda made him feel... maybe not inadequate, but certainly lesser. One thing he was learning about himself was that joined or otherwise, he wasn't smart. He was many things -- loyal, strong, friendly -- but apparently, whenever he got rejoined, he lost about 10 IQ points. Marlee had been a scientist. Alleran was smart. Safine was of average intelligence. And now he...
Tan: oO Am I a himbo? Oo
Eh. He didn't really feel too bad about it. Was it really that much of a problem to be a bit below average in the brains department?
He was too distracted to really think of the implications, bouncing along the surface of Denak IX like a spotted flailing ball, puffs of gas taking him further than his legs should have been able to. Definitely having fun.
Tan: =/\= Yee-haw! This is the bloody best fun I've 'ad in a long time! =/\=
sh’Qynallahr =/\= Ha! You can say that again! =/\=
T. Sevo: =/\= This is the bloody best fun I’ve had in a long time! =/\=
Serren couldn't help but laugh boyishly at that, bounding along the yellow sand. There was one question that snagged in his mind though.
Tan: =/\= So, uhh, I forgot to ask... what kinda vehicles are the third leg? =/\=
sh’Qynallahr =/\= An Argo All Terrain Buggy =/\=
T. Sevo: =/\= An Argo? Nice! Who’s driving? =/\=
Nobody answered right away. No doubt they were all thinking me me me me!.
Tan: =/\= Just checking! I mean, it would be helpful to think about it before we actually get there. =/\=
They bounced along for several more minutes, rapidly approaching their next checkpoint. His borrowed fuel was starting to run low, as most of theirs was, but there were the argos parked in a neat row. Trying to save the last of his nicked thruster fuel, Serren stopped a bit before them and walked the rest of the way.
sh’Qynallahr: =/\= I would like to invoke an old human custom called dibs, and claim that I shall drive our buggy =/\=
Tan: =/\= Hey, maybe the gun's controlled by the pilot. Or the passenger... hence the term, shotgun! =/\=
sh’Qynallahr: =/\= Too late! I’m already in the driver’s seat. =/\=
sh’Qynallahr: =/\= Hold on tight! This will not be slow! =/\=
With that, Piravao slammed her foot onto the acceleration pedal. The car's tyres spun in place, throwing up sand and a thick cloud of dust, but then they gripped and the buggy jerked forward, screaming away across the dunes, darting away from the row of parked vehicles. The Argo quickly gathering speed, a massive trail of dust in their wake.
T. Sevo: =/\= How long is this leg? =/\=
Tan: =/\= Twenty five klicks, Marshall said! Not sure if that's in a straight line or as the Trill flies! =/\=
T. Sevo: =/\= Assuming Pira’s driving skills are as good as she claims, we should make good time. Anyone sighted Marshall’s group yet? =/\=
Serren stood up in the passenger's seat, holding onto the door and looking around. There were other vehicles around, but it was not possible to tell who was who. It was possible to know that standing up like this was a lot of fun. It was like skydiving all over again, with the air rushing past him, the car bouncing gaily across the sand dunes, kicking up a massive cloud of dust behind it.
Tan: =/\= Wooo! ::he thrust both arms up, standing in the seat:: I'm the king of the world! =/\=
sh’Qynallahr: Response
T. Sevo: =/\= Hey, Pira? You’re going to avoid those crystal formations, right? Right?! =/\=
Crystal formations? What crystal format--
(( Roll: 2... rip my dignity ))
Suddenly they were in them, the thick crystals battering and buffering at his suit, standing up like a jackass, fully exposed to the whipping branches. Standing up had proven to be a really bad idea, and he sat back down into his seat again.
It suddenly hit him -- exactly at the same time as one of the crystal arms slammed into his chest and plucked him out of the vehicle like some kind of forked arm -- what he had forgotten about riding in a car.
Seat belt.
Tan went flying out of the car, spinning in the air like a pinwheel, crashing into various crystalline constructions, each one shattering and breaking as he tumbled through them, over and over, until finally his head plunged into the sand, burying himself in up to the middle of his chest. All he could see in front of his helmet was sand. His HUD flashing bright red warnings.
Suit: =/\= Warning: Negative head altitude detected. Recalibrate sensors immediately. =/\=
T. Sevo/sh’Qynallahr: Response
Being upside down it was hard to actually talk. Tan wiggled around, squirming and trying to free himself from the sand, but he seemed to be stuck in there deep. There was a thick layer of sand in front of his face. He was stuck into the sand pretty deep. The vibrations from the car seemed distant.
Hopefully the cameras for the livefeed wouldn't be capturing this.
Tan: Hey! Hey, guys, I fell out!
Something was wrong. His radio wasn't working. It must have been broken in the fall... he was lucky that was the only thing that had been damaged.
Tan: Computer, switch to backup systems.
Suit: =/\= Emergency backup systems engaged. Please remain calm. =/\=
The inside of his helmet started to play calming music, like chiming bells, clearly designed to calm the panic of random civilians. It only irritated him though.
Tan: =/\= Hi! I, um, fell out. Can you hear me now? =/\=
Tan: =/\= Not sure where I am. I'm upside down, buried in the sand. Can't get out. =/\=
100% Certified Stupid Brains
USS Gorkon
O238704AT0