Power Nap; Part Deux

<clip>
"will you never learn... if you just say something, we can cut off
the area, i mean hell! we could detatch that section of the ship" he
said, "but i spose any way that works.." he added.
"anywho... you'll never guess who i'm engaged to, and it was a proper
job..." he said
<end clip>
"It's Chris' daughter, Melissa" Jack said, with a perfectly straight
face.
'Chris? Ahh... Harris... yeah... well, waddya know.. hes not a
virgin... Can i meet her? I mean, if your gonna get married then the
best man must see the bride!'
'Best... man?'
Keats beamed a smile that put halogen bulbs to shame.
"Dude, you know we had the deal years ago. you'd always be the best
man. Always" Jack said. "and you can meet her, but she's still
asleep right now" he added, a small smile appearing on his face.
'Ok, just wondering in case you made any other plans.... you dawg' He
gave a playful punch on Jacks arm.
'So you got your own quarters then? I never really got round to
tha.... ahha....'
Jack looked at him and tilted his head in the manner of a small puppy.
'I mean.. after you moved out i never got the chance to find another
roomy.. hehe... yeah.. thats the one...'
'Is there something you wanted to say Ke-'
'Nonononooo... im fine, just a lil twitchy after two months in the
deep'
Jack nodded, although his body had gone to normal, his brain wasnt
quite up to scratch still, and believed this blatent lie.
"anywho, i think its about time i got a drink" Jack said, going to
the bar.
A minute later he sat down again, with a pint of Coke.
"anyway, i'm gonna ask her if she wants some nano's later" Jack said,
taking a gulp from his drink.
"I don't want to lose contact with her if we're out of reach..." he
said, leaning back in his chair.
'Oh i can see advantages of not having your wife wired into your head
24/7' Keats mused quietly
'Hmmm?'
'Ehh, i mean, i gotta see Severn later... gotta get mine checked
out... they dotn respond well after being in stasis after all... have
to ensure they aint burnt out their MO-OS' [1]
"fair enough, I think i'll join you, haven't been down there in ages"
Jack said, downing the rest of his coke, and burping quietly, Keats
looked up at this appauling attempt at a burp. "you ok? thats not
the kind of belch you normally throw out" asked, finishing off his
first pint. "yeah, i'm cool. it's only coke.." Jack said, sliding
into his chair a bit more.
'I can forgive you for now i spose... anyway, Severn should bee-
eeearghhh!' his words were turned into acute pain as a wideband nano
signal was sent out.
'Keats... ahh... crap.. everyones got these now.. ahh.. ahem! This is
a general announcement. Will John Keats please make his way to the
Hanger 23 tout sweet.. uhh... thanks.. Severn out... out... OUT!'
John was leaning on JAck now almost crying in pain. After
recouperating for a few minutes, he stood.
'Yeah, i think the Nanos are FUBAR....'
"heh, i heard that from out here... mine are off right now..." Jack
said, "anywho, to hangar 23?" Jack said, starting to walk out of
parrotts.
After 15 mintues of uneventfull walking, they arrived in the hanger.
Severn was apparantly clean shaved, and slightly less greasy than
usual.
'Hey... i thought you said i was only out for 2 months!'
Jack shook his head as Severn turned to meet them.
'Hey Jack, hey Keats... you have a fun time in the deep? Hows the
little uns holding out?'
'Ehhh.. painfully...'
A russle broke the silence, it came from 'The Endymion' which
presently was in its dry dock of the hanger. Only Jack noticed it.
'Anyways doc.. get them sorted before i get a tightbeamed concussion'
Jack stepped over to the Endymion, as Severn began checking on John's
nano's. Jack climbed up, and opened the cockpit.
"hey, hows it going in there?" Jack asked it, knowing who the
computer was. It just grunted at him, and tried to clsoe the cockpit
cover on his hands.
"nice to see you again too!" Jack said, as he walked back to John and
Severn.
"sup?" he asked.
'Well apart from having large electrodes prodding my ears by a man
who is... PICKING HIS NOSE!! oh good god... Jack.. if i die, you can
have my CD player....'
'Umm... i kinda... well... i sold it....'
'How much you get for it?'
' $£30....'
'Hah! Good work!'
Keats leaned back to look at the celining again.. a small furry ball
was looking down at him.
'Severn....'
'Yo?'
'Have you been fiddling again?'
The object in question was a small light brown and white ferret that
appeared to be hanging 2 meters in the air directly above Jack.
Jack looked up at where john had looked, and took a step back. The
thing started falling, and Jack instinctively held his hands out to
catch it. He put it on the table next to the others. "what in the
world is that?" Jack asked, taking a closer look at it.
'Ummmm... well... you know how The Gun is kinda not here...'
'Yeah' said Jack
'Huh?' said Keats
'Well... it seemed a shame to waste all the CPU time concentrated in
The Endymion on doing nothing.. so ummm... this is Quilibet'
'Quilibet?'
'Yeah... he uses a similar technology to Nanos and The Endymions CPU,
its called "Mag-tech" think of it as a pet'
'A pet? whod be crazy enough to have a flying ferret as a pet?'
They looked at each other, and then to Keats, who was scratching it
behind the ear. It rubbed up against his face and hopped onto Keats
shoulder as he sat up.
"well, looks like you've found yourself an owner for it..." Jack
said, taking a step back.
"I would, but i'm not sure melissa's a fan of ferret's, mechanical or
not" he added.
"now if it was a cat, i'd take it without a second thought..." he
said, smiling. "anyway Severn, i take it you heard about my...
incident... through the nano's, you haven't by any chance been
tinkering with weapons have you?" he asked.
'Well... i think we ALL know the answer to that... this way..'
Severn walked towards the console that used to activate the Gauntlet.
Jack followed, and Keats jumped up, Quilibet scaling up the back of
his head, and curled up on his head.
'Well... recently ive been.. altering things here...'
He pushed a button, and the floor started to lower as a lift. IT went
down about 4 meters, and stopped, a large bulkheaded door opend
infront of him and they gazed into a room, 10x10 meters, filled wall
to wall with weapons, old, new, alterd, alien and martial.
'Take your pick!'
Jack stepped in, and gazed in awe at the weapons on display. A
certain rifle in one corner caught his eye. It was matt black all
over, with a sniper sight on the top. Jack picked it off the shelf,
and looked through the sight. Instead of seeing through it like a
lense, a small screen lit up on the inside, showing a digital
crosshair, and a distance display on it, displaying the image a
camera in the front can see.
"I like it" Jack said. "I think i'm going to be a bit more passive
in fighting now..." Jack said, thinking of Melissa, and his lack of
close quarters abilities now. "Nice one, what kind of ammo it take?"
he asked.
"It's standard seven-six-two's" Severn replied, handing him a box of
them, and a few spare clips. As Jack fussed over his weapon, Keats
browsed down the lines.
'M2 Browning... to big... Bazookoid Mk 3... to messy... FORCE
T.A.W... to cumbersome... RPG-90... to explosive... ah.. here we go!
This is more me!'
Keats picked up a small, dusty old pistol and a packet of .45's. He
felt the weight of the Colt 1911.
'Yeah... thats the stuff.. sorted'
'Prreeee!'
Keats looked up to where Quilibet had jumped off his head and was
floating just behind and above him.
'Hey, Severn, you never said he could speak!' He got no response.
'Ah well' he stroked Quil's chin and concealed the pistol.
"well, thanks for the rifle" Jack began,
"But i think i'd better be off now." Jack said, stepping out of the
weapon room, and beginning the quite long walk back to the door.
"John, you done here?" he asked, stopping as he got to the gauntlet
control panel, and turning around.
Keats walked up silently and smiled.
'Yeah, im done here, hey, im gonna play with Quil here for a bit,
hows for we meet up around 7 forra bitta munch? i could murder a
chinease!'
'Chuuuu!' Agreed Quilibet.
'Oh, Keats.. by the way, he'l learn from you, your actions will shape
how he grows, think of him as... a living tamagotchi!'
'Eh?'
'Dont worry'
'Kay.. so, Jack, up for dinner?'
"yeah, sounds cool. Mind if i bring Melissa along?" he asked,
slinging the rifle over his shoulder.
"I'm sure she'll be hungry too" he said.
'Yeah, love to meet her. Later bro!'
Keats winked and did a two finger wave before he walked off, hands in
his pockets and Quilibet sitting to atention on his shoulder.
<TBC?>
*1* MO-OS: Multi Organic Operating System, the nanos CPU basically.
See Guide for Quilibet stuff!