Drift Stories/Hands Off the Merchandise: Difference between revisions
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Quartz grinned at Bentley. “What’s the difference, anyway? Pirates probably get paid better.” | Quartz grinned at Bentley. “What’s the difference, anyway? Pirates probably get paid better.” | ||
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The glass-walled elevator car made its way slowly up the side of the High Spire, the luxurious crown perched atop the ''Cloud Archipelago''’s expanse. Inside, the four members of the ''Stationary Traveller''’s crew stood waiting. Though they tried not to show it, the tension was palpable. | The glass-walled elevator car made its way slowly up the side of the High Spire, the luxurious crown perched atop the ''Cloud Archipelago''’s expanse. Inside, the four members of the ''Stationary Traveller''’s crew stood waiting. Though they tried not to show it, the tension was palpable. | ||
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Solivane walked through the main corridor of the ''Stationary Traveller'', thinking it was unusually quiet for a departure morning. A deck below, the hold buzzed with the chatter and rattle of dockers loading crates of provisions and Quartz complaining about the scrapes they left on the floor. Up here, however, the air was too still. | Solivane walked through the main corridor of the ''Stationary Traveller'', thinking it was unusually quiet for a departure morning. A deck below, the hold buzzed with the chatter and rattle of dockers loading crates of provisions and Quartz complaining about the scrapes they left on the floor. Up here, however, the air was too still. | ||
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Bentley lay awake, staring at the ceiling. It was sometime in the dead of night and the lights were off, letting the gentle glow of the Drift illuminate the walls of the captain’s quarters. They carefully untangled themselves from Ilyar’s arms and slipped out, throwing on a dressing down on the way. | Bentley lay awake, staring at the ceiling. It was sometime in the dead of night and the lights were off, letting the gentle glow of the Drift illuminate the walls of the captain’s quarters. They carefully untangled themselves from Ilyar’s arms and slipped out, throwing on a dressing down on the way. | ||
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“Rail-pistol?” Bentley asked, confused. “Those are a mark a dozen—“ | “Rail-pistol?” Bentley asked, confused. “Those are a mark a dozen—“ | ||
“''Rel-pistol'',” Quartz corrected with a laugh. “Relativistic pistol. It has a tiny piece of contained Drift inside, uses that to fire at three-quarters the speed of light.” She lifted the pistol and aimed it at some pieces of scrap crate-wood sitting by the wall further down the hold. “Watch.” | |||
She squeezed the trigger, and instantly a beam of purple light shot from the barrel directly into the wood scraps with a loud crack that reverberated around the hold. Where it hit there was now a smouldering ring of purple-glowing wood pinned to the hold wall; the rest of the scrap was a fine dusting of ash scattered on the floor. Bentley walked over cautiously and inspected the remains; inside the glowing ring was a perfectly formed bullet, undamaged, suspended in the air. After a moment, the glow faded and the bullet clinked to the floor. | She squeezed the trigger, and instantly a beam of purple light shot from the barrel directly into the wood scraps with a loud crack that reverberated around the hold. Where it hit there was now a smouldering ring of purple-glowing wood pinned to the hold wall; the rest of the scrap was a fine dusting of ash scattered on the floor. Bentley walked over cautiously and inspected the remains; inside the glowing ring was a perfectly formed bullet, undamaged, suspended in the air. After a moment, the glow faded and the bullet clinked to the floor. | ||
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Quartz looked directly into their eyes, her bright blue irises shining in the dim light of the hold. “He approved it. Last resort. Just in case. Besides, Bentley, you’ve had to fend for yourself before. Haven’t you caused just as much harm?” | Quartz looked directly into their eyes, her bright blue irises shining in the dim light of the hold. “He approved it. Last resort. Just in case. Besides, Bentley, you’ve had to fend for yourself before. Haven’t you caused just as much harm?” | ||
Bentley recoiled from the weight of the question, staring Quartz down. A faint flicker of amber fury ignited in their eyes. “Seam-walkers don’t blow holes in people! We don’t kill!” They took a step forward, pointing an accusatory finger at Quartz. “We defend ourselves with elegance. We rewrite weapons to be harmless, we convince the multiverse to work in our favour. If it comes to it, we rip open a seam and drop you into another reality. We don’t harm!” | Bentley recoiled from the weight of the question, staring Quartz down. A faint flicker of amber fury ignited in their eyes. “Seam-walkers don’t blow holes in people! We don’t kill!” They took a step forward, pointing an accusatory finger at Quartz. “We defend ourselves with elegance. We rewrite weapons to be harmless, we convince the multiverse to work in our favour. If it comes to it, we rip open a seam and drop you into another reality. We don’t ''harm!''” | ||
Quartz stood up and met Bentley’s gaze, every bit as fiery. “What happens to those you ‘drop into another reality’, Bentley? Do you know where they go? Do you know if it’s safe? Do you care?” She grabbed the pistol and held it in the air, making Bentley step back. “This kills, and death is final; you would rather pluck someone out of their world and leave them to suffer, just to satisfy yourself that you didn’t pull the trigger!” | Quartz stood up and met Bentley’s gaze, every bit as fiery. “What happens to those you ‘drop into another reality’, Bentley? Do you know where they go? Do you know if it’s safe? ''Do you care?''” She grabbed the pistol and held it in the air, making Bentley step back. “This kills, and death is final; you would rather pluck someone out of their world and leave them to suffer, just to satisfy yourself that you didn’t pull the trigger!” | ||
“Cease.” | “Cease.” | ||
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Morning came as morning could only come on a seamship, with the lights coming up on a timer and the Drift remaining as dark and empty as ever. Bentley was at the drive console, sipping a cup of coffee in a vain attempt to gain back some of the sleep they missed the previous night. Quartz sat as ever on the far end of the bridge, pointedly ignoring everything around them, and for once Bentley was glad for it. Solivane, at the navigator’s desk, was busying themselves with course corrections and valiantly pretending nothing had happened. Into the midst of this tension strode Ilyar, fresh-faced and stretching his back. He stood by the front windows admiring the Drift for a moment, then turned to address the room. | Morning came as morning could only come on a seamship, with the lights coming up on a timer and the Drift remaining as dark and empty as ever. Bentley was at the drive console, sipping a cup of coffee in a vain attempt to gain back some of the sleep they missed the previous night. Quartz sat as ever on the far end of the bridge, pointedly ignoring everything around them, and for once Bentley was glad for it. Solivane, at the navigator’s desk, was busying themselves with course corrections and valiantly pretending nothing had happened. Into the midst of this tension strode Ilyar, fresh-faced and stretching his back. He stood by the front windows admiring the Drift for a moment, then turned to address the room. | ||