Distant Earth CYOA part 6
#6 of Distant Earth text adventure
Well here is part 6, our hero joins up with some rather unsavoury characters. Hope you enjoy, vote for what's next by clicking thumbs up on the relevant comment below.
Join Qerry on his brothers ship 35
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That one wasn't close
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After they finished the pastry the two kissed as the sun began to rise again, turning to watch it in silence, the two leaned against each other happily. However the sweet moment was not fated to last as something in Qerry's clothes began to bleep and the red panda dived to grab his communicator device. Activating it a small hologram of a black wolf appeared just above the device.
The wolf began to laugh as he shouted, "hey bro, you really shouldn't have holo mode on when you answer your comm naked!" Qerry squeaked and fumbled with his device as he realised he had just sent a naked holo image of himself to the wolf who, like him, may not be alone. "That's better, still I like the new body, if I wasn't your brother I would have enjoyed the naked holo a lot more."
"I...erm... thanks I guess Qeith," muttered the panda trying not to glance at the chuckling bunny nearby.
"Look we got to Edris early, it's just a refuelling stop so you'd better get your butt over to the spaceport if you still want to join up," Qeith replied with a snort his image showed him tilt his head and then nod. "The guys can't wait to meet you, especially after they saw your little naked holo show just now."
Blushing deeply the little panda whined, "they saw me?"
"All of you and a few of them really want to meet you now," laughed the wolf and then added. "Don't worry little brother you're bunking in with me, I'll make sure they keep their paws to themselves."
"Thanks, I.. err made a friend and I was thinking he could join up too," the panda looked up to see the shocked look on Zack's face, he gave a little smile and shrug of his shoulders. "He's a new morph and he has an engineers memory graft, I figured you guys might need an engineer."
Shaking his head the wolf replied, "I'm not sure, I'll ask the captain bring him with you, he'll need to be questioned before he can join up. See ya soon." With that the wolf vanished as the comm connection closed.
"You have a friend to join up?" Zack asked with a slight frown, he needed a job, but he wanted a say in what work he took and a raider ship engineer was not exactly the job he'd had in mind.
"I... sorry, I just thought you might want to come with me." Muttered the panda his ears low and his shoulders slumped. "I mean we had a lot of fun and I know you needed work..."
Looking at the dejected naked panda the slightly glassy look in his eyes showing how close Qerry was to tears, Zack couldn't be mad. "Well I do need a job, guess it can't hurt to at least talk to them."
Standing up the little panda hugged him tightly and nuzzled his neck, making some urges stir inside the rabbit. "Thanks, look you don't have to join if you don't want to, but it'd be really great if you did."
The two dressed quickly and hand in hand they returned to the biodome and then made their way to the spaceport. Dozens of ships of all sizes stood in multiple hangers, Qerry guided him through the port looking for the ship his brother was serving on. Spotting it he pointed excitedly "The Harrier, it's a refitted Mrk III transport frigate."
"I know, I got the engineers graft, it's been more than refitted though," observed the rabbit. His grafted memory allowed him to spot a dozen closed gun ports, what he guessed was an ion net as well as improved thrusters. The Harrier carried a punch, a serious punch as well as manoeuvring capabilities that would make her a tough target for some of the bigger ships. To uneducated eyes she would seem harmless, the gun ports he could spot were closed and anyone without the knowledge he had wouldn't sot them, hell ship sensors wouldn't detect them until they opened and powered up, a raider's ship indeed.
The black wolf, Qeith, was outside along with a red fox, a hyena and a badger. Off to the side they could see a brown horse bent over an engine tools in both paws and one in his mouth as he worked on it. It didn't seem to be going well as the horse stamped his hoof kicked the engine and spat out the tool in his mouth as he neighed in rage.
As they got near they heard the fox speaking, "ok Kelo calm down we need that engine in one piece and working."
"It's not that easy Dejo, the compensator is fried and welded itself to the mercer unit. Do you have any idea how difficult it will be to get a new mercer unit this far from Earth? We are stuck flying on two and a half engines..."
The horse didn't get to finish as the fox shouted over him, "what do you mean two and a HALF? The harrier is a four engine bird, my maths may be mad but I can take one from four and get three without a calculator."
"Look we strained all four engines getting away from that last patrol, with full cargo. Number two is only just still working, if we use it at more than half capacity it's going to overload. When we get to Karas I should be able to get the parts I need for number four and get number two fully stripped down and patched up," sighing heavily and bracing himself the pony knew the next bit of news would be even less welcome. "Just a week and a halfs pit stop to..."
"A week and a half on KARAS!" Screamed the fox in despair, "we can't stay that long in the core we will be spotted, you know how we do this land sell and run. Not land sell, sit around drink tea until the god damned elitists slap cuffs on us all."
"I'm sorry there's nothing I can do without a mercer unit four is out, maybe I could fix two up a bit but it'll never get back to full capacity without a full. As for four, look you get me a mercer I will have to install it external that means I might be able to get it up to thirty percent, outside a retro fit bay you can't replace a mercer properly." Replied the horse folding his arms, he stood a clear two foot above the fox. All of them were dressed in combat fatigues with a gun holster and a sword. Shooting on board a ship was dangerous, one wrong shot and you could end up breaching the hull and killing everyone. Except when in the deep interior of the ship nobody used blasters. Ancient weapons had been rediscovered and old skills relearned.
"If you have an old decare unit and a few tools you could jury rig a mercer unit, you wouldn't need a bay to fit it either if you take apart the celo unit and access the port from the other side, delicate work but it could be done. It would give you eighty to ninety percent thrust until you get a proper mercer and a bay to work in." All eyes turned to the new voice and Zack suddenly wondered if speaking up was a mistake.
The fox looked from the rabbit back to the pony, "Kelo, is that true?"
Blinking the pony shrugged, "maybe I've never heard of that before, but the mercer and decare ain't that different... I guess it could work, but I couldn't do it. I'd like to see how it's done that's for sure, decares are a dime a dozen if he knows how to make a decare into a mercer a lot of our engine troubles could be over."
Turning back to him the red fox walked over and offered a paw, "Captain Dejo Marure of the Harrier, you looking for a job?"
"That's my little brother, the new hacker you wanted and he said he was bringing an engineer friend with him," Qieth said as he stepped forward.
"Oh hey, yeah the sexy little panda boi brought a sexy little friend, why don't you both bunk with me?" Growled the hyena stepping forward and grabbing a rather bulging crotch, "I can give you both a proper good hard... welcome on board."
A black paw landed on the hyena's shoulder and he was yanked back hard, "lay a claw on my brother and I will kill you Reggie!" Snarled Qieth pulling his blaster as the hyena snarled in rage.
"Eh whatever, plenty of people want this dick," snorted the canine waving his paws dismissively. "In fact we'll be leaving in a few hours I'd better go find me some tail to fuck."
"Remember you pay whores, you don't kill them." Retorted the wolf holstering his weapon.
"I don't have to pay to get someone on my dick, unlike you blacky boy," laughed the hyena as he strode away pausing to give Zack a look that spoke volumes. "It'll be nice to have your sweet ass on board. " He muttered and winked as he passed, the hungry look in his eye made the rabbit shudder, some animal instinct told him a predator was hunting him.
"Please ignore Reggie, he unfortunately suffers from lust, aggression and dominance bleedthroughs. It is an unfortunate mix, but he is a skilled fighter and you can trust him in a firefight or swordfight." Dejo said with a smile, "if you are looking for work I pay well, a good share of all loot, my guys will back me up on that." A small chorus of agreement followed from the others.
"You get a bunk, food and two percent of all profit." The fox informed him, "however, I expect you to work and this isn't exactly a danger free job. The harrier is a raider and we hit elitist ships for food, water or whatever we can get. Food and water is sold cheap to the colonists, or more likely traded for ore or produce from the colonists. Like our last haul. All we do then is take that cargo into the core, sell it and get out as fast as we can."
Zack nodded a slight rush of adrenalin flowed through him as he signed on to a life of crime. "Ok, I guess I can live with that, especially the part about selling food and water cheap."
"Ah an idealist! perfect you will fit in with my crew," the fox chuckled patting him on the shoulder. "Now as for bunks, we only have a few spaces, Kelo and his bunkmate have one spare bed. Karlos here," the fox nodded at the badger as he continued, "has a spare bunk..."
"Wait, there's three in my room already, remember the human..." the badger started to explain to the fox.
Snarling over the badger's complaint the vulpine turned and spat out, "you take a hostage you keep it until we can get it back to the core, he's your problem not mine. As far as I'm concerned the human is not a member of my crew and can sleep on the floor or in your bed. I don't care."
"I gave him my word he wouldn't be harmed," snarled the badger drawing himself up to his full height and putting his paw on his sword.
"I never said kill him I just said he couldn't claim a bunk over a crew member," replied the fox for a moment or two they locked eyes and then the badger backed down with a nod.
"Aye alright, the boy can bed down with me if he needs too."
Taking that as an end to the argument and without acknowledging the badger's change of position Dejo turned to the rabbit. "The only other free rooms are our medic Lanna's, though good luck getting any sleep there and I am not going to put two rabbits with feral lust bleedthrough in the same room, you two wouldn't do anything but fuck. The last bunk would be mine, but I warn you I snore very loudly." The fox chuckled and winked as he waited for the rabbit to make his choice.
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As ever vote by clicking thumbs up on the corresponding comment below.
A Room with Kelo the pony engineer
B Room with Karlos the badger raider
C room with Dejo the pirate captain