Chapter 2.0 - Into The Black

Take my love, take my land
Take me where I cannot stand
I don't care, I'm still free
You can't take the sky from me.

Take me out to the black
Tell them I ain't comin' back
Burn the land and boil the sea
You can't take the sky from me.


Tombstone Station

There is a plaque on the wall, some durable alloy of iron.

"Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings"

You're not sure where that snippet came from. Wait, you have an image in your head of some world war one pilot, but... Wait, world war one? Pilot? You know these words, you know the context, somehow. You even know what the word 'snippet' means. Strange.

With your translation to Tombstone Station, you have been altered. Your clothing, your skin, even your bodies are different. They're 'contextual'. Your weapons have transformed into appropriate analogs. Revolvers are now blasted, rifles are electromagnetic propulsion weapons, or maybe even vibro-swords. Even your cyphers are different, turned into objects that fit the Recursion.

Your memories are intact. You remember the Rio Grande, but some of it is hazy. But your time with Louis, and the preacher and the colonel, and each other, are all crystal clear.

You feel weak however, suffering from some sort of translation distemperment. Louis told you that it would pass, usually in about an hour. Your not as weak as a kitten, but just a little off. You could wait in the room that you're in until you feel better, our you could explore.

You, again somehow, know some things about Tombstone Station...


Section 1: Main Street

The main part of the station is the central ring. It is laid out as one long corridor along the middle of the circumference with rooms to either side much like homes and businesses on a street. The rotation of the station provides for 1G normal gravity on Main Street.

Section 2: Arclight

The second, smaller ring spins at about 0.5G and so is better suited for industrial applications. Starship construction and repairs are performed here.

Section 3: Observation

The scientific instrumentation and analysis systems are housed in the smallest ring. Here, under very light gravity, sensitive experiments are performed, including scanning of the nearby nebula for threats.

Section 4: Fuel Pods

Large tanks of fuel, including oxygen, hydrogen, helium and nitrogen are contained here. A small maintenance ring contains the power generators, atmospheric recyclers, and other support systems.

Eli stares in amazement at his new clothes, his duster more like a flexible armor, and his guns looking like super-guns. He notes similar transformations for his two friends.

While he almost felt ready to start exploring, he feels a wave of fatigue, and sits down. "Whew, this is a lot to take in! You guys mind if we rest a bit?"

After awhile, you begin to feel better. Your altered bodies, while disconcerting to say the least, are familiar. Some rough calisthenics (there's a new word) prove that your reflexes and mobility are unchanged. But your mind and skills seem to know too do things that you hadn't even heard of an hour earlier. Like checking the charge pack on your blasters, which propel radiation and subatomic particles at near light speed in a focused beam.

Soon, however, the curiosity overwhelms you. Outside, as the station slowly rotates, the killer star passes by, slowly cannibalizing its larger brother.

What other mysteries lie outside the large, metal door?

More Firefly than anything else, but not just Firefly.

"Shiny", Eli says, although he's not sure why. He puts his ear to the door to see if he hears anything. If he does, he informs the others. Regardless, after listening, he signals that he is opening the door, and he opens it.

You don't hear much. There is a rhythmic thumping that grows and then fades, felt through the metal door rather than heard, that you decide are footsteps.

The narrow corridor the door opens into leads to a larger, more brightly lit one, and that one that seems slightly rounded. The larger corridor is probably 15 yards across.

The walls and floor are made from metal and plastic, with no sign of wood. The floor is textured rough and provides good traction. Light is provided by ceiling panels that glow perfectly evenly without flicker or variation.

Across from you and nearby in the side corridor are a few other doors, identical to your own.

You peek into the larger corridor, and this one seems to bend upwards, curving along the hull of the largest ring of the station. The 'street' goes all the way around, so you could walk straight and end up back where you are after maybe a 1000 paces.

Walking away from you is a large, metal exoskeleton, driven by a barely seen person. The large arms on the device are well designed for lifting heavy materials, such as moving freight, or for mining, etc. With each step, the floor vibrates slightly, with a cadence that tells you it is what you felt from inside your room.

In the other direction, a number of people can be seen. One woman, a robotic arm shining in the artificial light, is just entering what appears to be a store. Two men are sitting outside a restaurant, drinking something and casually looking at you. Lastly, a creature that looks like an Egyptian god, covered in golden metal with a doglike head, is strolling towards you. It carries a long rifle in one hand, a satchel looped over its shoulder, and a roundish helmet in the other hand.

A loud alarm begins to sound, followed by a disembodied voice that seems to emit from the ceiling. "Attention. Incoming solar storm. Residents are advised to secure any loose items and brace for impact. Impact will occur in 4 minutes. Please be advised that this is a class 3 hazard. No structural damage is anticipated. Thank you for your attention."

Space cowboy Eli, not looking for Trouble, starts a slow, casual walk towards the Egyptian warrior. He will pay attention for any signs of threat.

The Egyptian warrior pauses and tilts his dog-like head as the announcement occurs. He then looks about, and lopes hurriedly to the restaurant. The two men at the table slam their drinks back and jog off in the other direction.

The woman in the restaurant steps out and looks around as she half-closes the door. She sees you, and waves her arm at you, beckoning.

Eli acknowledges the offer of shelter and moves towards the restaurant.

The woman waits a second after the three of you enter the restaurant, before she closes the door. She spins a wheel on the inside of the door, and it seems to seal tightly.

The restaurant has 5 people besides you. There is the woman with the metal arm who let you in. The Egyptian warrior, who has placed his rifle, helmet and rucksack on a corner table. There is a woman who is immediately recognizable the galaxy over as a waitress. There is another woman in an open kitchen against the left wall. Lastly, a man of more than a little excess body fat sits patiently in from of an empty plate. All of them look your way, then at each other. There are 5 unoccupied tables, each with four chairs bolted to the floor beside them. In fact, everything here looks secured to the floor, or perhaps magnetic. The only thing that isn't obviously metal is a tapestry hanging from the wall showing man with a broken sword trying to fight off an armoured giant.



The woman holds out her metal arm, clearly offering a handshake, and says "Jeapa. Welcome to Tombstone Station."