Nerds, Huzzards and Old Friends (Part 2)

“So what do we do now?” asked one of the thin geeks in one of those annoyingly American-like American accents. These were the first words that Plisken, still being called Lexa Doig by her capturers, heard as she awoke from an uncomfortable sleep. The sleep had been so uncomfortable because, unlike many of her previous sleeps throughout her long life, she had been tied upright on a chair. Most people would find it difficult to find any sleep in the company of their kidnappers but most people had not been forced to sign every single Andromeda DVD 4 times over. But what did strike Plisken as weird was not the fact that 4 nerds had managed to sneak up on a high-tec robot, nor was it that instead of ransoming her for money she was being forced to sign merchandise, but it was, in fact, that none of the kidnappers had realised that Plisken could not copy Lexa Doig’s signature, and he was also pretty sure he’d got the o and the i the wrong way around at least once.
“I could go get our Stargate DVDs, Lexa Doig was in a couple of those,” answered on of the more portly nerds.
“Or, you know, you could let me go,” said Plisken with a hopeful smile.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” said the leader leaning in close again. His breathe was a foul mixture of energy drink and a various assortment of American confectionary.
“You know, I don’t know your name,” Plisken said as she recoiled from the smell.
The leader seemed to blush and he moved back slightly with embarrassment, “Well, it’s Jeff, actually.”
“Jeff?” said Plisken, genuinely intrigued, “I knew a Huzzard called Jeff.”

MEANWHILE

Jeff the Huzzard was a long way from home. Since being mutated by the deadly gas that had caused the crew to evacuate to the jungle home of the Ssala and Haruk (a long time ago), Jeff had not been having a great time. His bloated frame and infected skin had done little to help him attract a wife in the mating seasons and soon his family name, Gordon (Plisken, a great expert in Huzzard culture, found Jeff’s original family name stupid and unpronounceable and so called it Gordon), would die out. Which was a shame. Snap, Crackle and Pop, the three Huzzard who had mercilessly hunted Plisken through the bowels of the ship during our aforementioned hero’s 5 year time-field-messed-around-with journey, had all managed to continue the Kellogg family name (they were ‘brothers’, you see) by having children with their new wives (called Corn, Bran and Crunchy Nut) . But poor all Jeff Gordon, no-one had wanted to be with the bloated and infected Huzzard.

MEANWHILE

“Miss Doig? You zoned out for a moment there,” said one of the thin nerds.
“Um, yeah –“, began Plisken but he was interrupted by a shout from his coat pocket.
"Hello? Mr. Chrysler? Ms. Jones? Mr. Plisken? Does anybody know how to disarm a bomb?"
The nerds looked at their captive with interest. Plisken tried to think of something by failed miserably at coming up with anything. But before anyone could ask any of the questions that really should be asked at moments like these, mainly “Why is there a voice in your pocket” and “Your last name in not Jones”, a ringing came from within Plisken’s inside pocket. Plisken cursed at how mobile telephones had really taken over her life recently and how they always managed to go off right before someone says something. But even before Plisken could ask for someone to answer the phone for her, the door to the apartment building that Plisken was being captive in, burst open in a flurry of wooden splinters. The nerds all turned to see the source of such impoliteness, as would anyone. Plisken looked in horror as the dust faded and revealed her ‘savoir’.
At the door way was a tall and slender woman dressed in a nano-suit and looking very out of place against the average Las Vegas tourist. She had no hair on her head, she disliked it when people called her bald, and the skin was decorated with two tattooed lines running along the sides of her head. Her eyes were glowing brightly and almost seemed to pulse to her heartbeat. Stretched out in front of her was a long slim arm ending in a hand with her fingers outstretched.
“Emily!” cried Plisken from her seat. Emily, for it was her, darted threw the stunned nerds and with one swift movement, cut the ropes around Plisken’s ankles and wrists. Free of her bonds, Plisken dashed for the door, covered by Emily. As Plisken crossed over the threshold, she felt a wave of relief that she would not have to sign another Andromeda DVD. But before she could rest, Emily yanked her arm and led her down the corridor of the building and out a fire escape. The fire escape opened put onto a roof of a shop next to the apartment building, a thin metal ladder down the back of the shop serving as the final escape from any fire.
“Plisken,” said Emily with a slight pant. Her eyes faded from their glow and she looked normal again.
“Emily,” responded Plisken, hardly out of breath from the short sprint.
“You’re looking good,” Emily said with a smile, taking in her old friend’s rather different body.
“You’re meant to be dead,” said Plisken flatly, “I was there when it happened.”
“Yeah, about that,” said Emily, placing a hand behind her head as she thought, “I may have had a bit of reconstructive surgery done.”
“You’re lying,” said Plisken angrily, “If you had lived I would know about it.”
“Would you?” shouted back Emily, her patience breaking, “After you split, you all went into hiding, but you- you pretended that we didn’t exist. “
“Oh, that’s hardly true. Garth was always feeding me information about the greater world and I smegging married Kate; it was you who managed to hide, evidently.”
Emily brought her hand quickly across Plisken’s face, leaving a red hand print across her face – which was impressive considering Plisken was an android. Plisken considered her options for a moment while he soothed the pulsing mark on her face. While slapping Emily back felt like the best thing to do, it was perhaps not the wisest move he could make – especially considering the fact that Emily always seemed to win any fight she was in. After her moment’s consideration, Plisken came to the conclusion that accepting the slap was the best thing to do.
There was an awkward silence while Plisken refused to say anything. After a minute, Emily spoke up – her voice quiet.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, “It has not been the best of days lately.”
“Have they ever been, for us?”
“Oh, I don’t know, those days back home where good, weren’t they?”
“November City was a lie, it always was.”
“The city may have been a lie but we never were, where we?” Plisken and Emily both smiled as memories from their childhood came trickling back. “It feels like only yesterday,” said Emily, her eyes flicking up to Plisken, “But it was 20 years ago now.”
“20? Christ, it’s been, what, 600 or something years for me.”
“600? Bloody hell, where did you go to hide?”
“I got sidetracked on the way there.”
“Sidetracked?” asked Emily, looking unimpressed.
“More than once. Families, War and the Call of My Enemies, every time.”
“That’s the Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll for us,” laughed Emily.
Plisken smiled a bit for giving a chuckle, “It always was, wasn’t it? Even back in November.”
“Yeah, even back then.”
The two women stood there and just thought back to all the happy times they’d had together. Best friends, Emily and Plisken. They had been part of a close knit group, the Trainyard Rats, of friends and ever since their first day in primary school they had been bound together. Through childhood and war, the Trainyard Rats had stood by each other. Until that one fateful day.
“Why did you do it?” asked Emily, her tone stony and her eyes cold as the memories came closer to the present.
“I had no choice,” said Plisken, but she said it without conviction.
“There’s always a choice. There always was.”
Plisken sighed and, unable to hold with Emily, broke her eyes away and looked at the sun. “I know.”
“But Garth –“
“I know what Garth said. I also know he was right,” Plisken moved her eyes back to Emily, “But I can’t say I’d go back and change it. My mistakes are my burden and they are a part of who I am. Besides,” a smile creeping on her face, “This useless lot need me.”
“Heh, yeah I’ve been following you. Garth too. I hear you were about to resurface just before the incident on the Blue Dwarf.”
“Yeah, nothing I can do about that now. I had a whole army I could raise against him, and her, but they are all dead now. Well, none of them are born yet.”
“You could still change it you know. History is always in flux.”
“History is always in flux,” repeated Plisken to herself. She thought about it but pushed it out her mind, her life was here and now. “Did you come to find me for a reason? You risked a lot breaking into a paradox riddled time zone.”
“Oh please, we’ve done that a hundred times. But no, I did come for a reason.”
“And that is?”
Emily’s eyes burst into their glow and she waved her hand quickly over Plisken’s forehead. Before Plisken could react she was unconscious and lying on the floor.
“Sorry Jack,” whispered Emily as her eyes faded back.

<OOC - 2 Days late but here>