Chapter 5: Death Traps

[2012/11/06 14:47] Abhishek was trying to decide what to do about the man, but somehow between one breath and another, faster than a blink of his eye, the demon--for it was obvious that was what he was--vanished. Abhishek looked around the room in confusion. It was just himself and Ingkeu once more.

 "What in the nine hells is going on here?" he asked, hand hovering over a holstered pistol again as his eyes quickly scanned the room. The smear of blood from where the crazy man collapsed against the wall after being shot was still there. He did not imagine that part at least, but that did not explain where he went. He turned to Ingkeu, brows furrowed hard and looked at her closely to see what her reaction would be.

 It was possible the ship itself was messing with his head, but he was fairly certain Ingkeu had seen everything that had happened so far unless that was also fabricated. Knowing he was armed was of little comfort--how did a person fight something that even bullets could not stop?

[14:50]  Ingkeu looked as if she were at a loss for words. Quietly she merely stood there, one hand around her wrist, staring at her exposed palm as if with hidden wonder. Abhishek's words brought her back to reality as her hands quickly dropped to the side, perhaps even a tad suspiciously before she casually went to lean up against a wall.

 "You look like you've seen a ghost." she retorted, keeping the smug smirk she wanted to release at bay. "Like, perhaps maybe what I've been telling you all along is true?" The tone in Ingkeu's voice hinted at her amusement before she moved over towards one of the computer consoles, an idea set in motion.

 "I told you you needed to go. But you just wouldn't listen..." she murmured with a soft tut, gently shaking her head.

[14:54]  Seth took a puff as he listened, having climbed up the cable back to the spot where Jericho had first hidden. He grinned as his face slid back into the shadows from where he was watching, before that too, the shining white of his teeth, disappeared. He laid in wait, hoping they'd head down the elevator rather than stick.around up here any longer. He had nearly exhausted himself entirely, and that was not a good thing, if Jericho was to stay under him. He snuffed the cig so that if they looked, it wouldn't light up anything. Today was a good day to get out.

[14:59]  Abhishek Veda cleared his throat and rubbed at his temple with a finger. The girl was vexing, and his patience was wearing ever thin. "That was no ghost," he said, shaking his head, but was uncertain. Hallucinations did not leave bloodstains behind, but he had never known of a demon being able to disappear like that before either. Truthfully he had very little contact with full-blooded demons in his lifetime. The redhead staring at her palm did not go unnoticed either.

 "What's wrong? Cut your hand or something?" he asked. It would not surprise him if she had done so while frantically searching for Pixel earlier, or panicking just before Abhishek shot the inane man. "I have a bandage roll--though why I would give it to you after you tried to send me to the Core and my death is a mystery. Perhaps I am a fool."

[15:03]  Ingkeu let out a small scoff as she turned away from him to the door panel  A few button pushes later lent the lock on the door outside to be released. Pixel had finally returned from god knows where, hobbling a long after her as she opened one door and stepped out side to the larger.

 "I'm fine." She responded, though she glared at the floor. "Not that I'd need your help. I can handle myself fine. After all, I am the woman who spared your life." Her tone was a bit bitter after his last response before finally she opened the larger door and gestured to it. "Your exit, if you will please." She stated quite blatantly, as if waiting for him to leave. "If you stick to the crew quarters you'll be in less danger and have less hallucinations. I would not, however, trust the food though."

 Ingkeu fixed him with a stare then before she added a bit light heartedly, "Just take the elevator to the crew deck, you'll be safe and sound." The sentence was finished by a meager roll of her eyes before she folded her arms over her chest.

[15:09]  Seth just sat there, silently listening to the whirr of the machinery and the talking of the two below. Quietly, he waited and plotted his next move. Keep that half-breed or whatever he was on his toes and jumpy as fuck. But how to do that, he mused silently while waiting for the business below to work itself out.

[15:17]  Abhishek Veda shook his head and stuck close to Ingkeu. "You think I'll cave that easily and run off on my own?" he sounded mildly amused. "I doubt you would survive much longer on your own. I recall who was hiding behind whom when shit reared its ugly head." His voice was considerably loud, almost booming in the corridor. "You ever think to use that?" he gestured at the weapon on her thigh. "Or are you out of ammo and just wearing it for show?"

 Abhishek crossed his arms across his chest, glaring down at the girl. He seemed to do a lot of glaring lately. "Here's the situation," he began to explain, taking a very patronizing tone. "This place is creepy as a nun at an orgy. I get that. Shit goes down here. That's all the more reason to get the fuck out. I don't care about you, or your little pet," he paused and dropped his arms to his sides.

 "I will do what it takes to get out of here," he continued. "Whatever it takes. I need a mechanic, and parts. I found a mechanic. I don't care if I have to shoot your legs to keep you from getting away. I'll go through the fucking hassle of dragging you around at least until I find a willing mechanic. Maybe if I do that I'd willingly trade you for them, but that'd leave you behind, and wounded. At that point, I would not give a fuck."

 Abhishek sighed and rubbed at his forehead again. His temper was snapping far too often. Maybe it was the nanites, maybe it was the lights, maybe it was this place in general, or some combination of all three. Or something else. "The sooner that's over with the sooner you can go gallavanting off on your own into the maw of the Bugblatter Beast of Traal for all I care. Your choice. One way is easy, the other way is easy. For me at least."

[15:24]  Ingkeu any ounce of the amusement that had once been on the girl's sweet lips was now gone with out a trace. She was deadly quiet while he whittled away at her with words. Perhaps silent, calculating while he went on and on about his need of a mechanic.

 Truth was, no, she hadn't forgotten about the cannon strapped to her right thigh. Rather, it was for emergencies, or when she -really- meant business. Ammunition in a place like this was like gold. You didn't get anywhere without it, and wasting it was foolish. That's when the bad ass in Ingkeu kicked in. The girl had a goal, a goal that some half-demon was not going to keep her from.

 Like lightning the very weapon he had been speaking about had been yanked from its holster, and if she could manage it, found the tip pointed just beneath his chin. The warmth that had been in her eyes the entire time he'd been around her was now drained as those slitted pupils narrowed at him coldly.

 "You mean this?" she asked in a hushed yet dangerous tone. "Why do all the shooting when I can con someone one else into doing it for me?" Her mismatched eyes would then attempt to hold his gaze, flashing with a glare that definitely meant business. A round was slid into place as her nostrils flared and she took in a deep breath.

 "I've been patient. Heck, I've been more than patient. I think I've told you at least four times now that you've over stayed your welcome. Do NOT make me tell you again." From behind the gun now her eyes narrowed as the backbone in the girl finally stood out. However, it would seem that between the time of the man disappearing and her looking at her hand, that her demeanor had changed quite a bit.

[15:27]  Seth listened quietly and smirked a bit. Part of him wondered if the man would scream like a little girl if he dropped in on him. He whispered words into his hands, letting a glowing orb grow within his palm. He dropped it, out of the ventilation shaft. Upon impact with the floor, a magic induced hologram would appear and would simply say quietly. "Looking for me?" But he held it for a bit. Not dropping it yet. After all, Xev, as he knew her name was, seemed to have things under wraps.  He toyed with the orb, dropping it from one hand to the other. Perhaps he could reabsorb the magic and not have to use it. Or he could just troll that fucker.

[15:35]  Abhishek Veda quirked an eyebrow and held very still, gun held to his chin. So. The girl had a backbone after all. He found it curious she acted so differently so suddenly. Was he truly a fool? His pupil-less eye regarded her slitted eyes, returning her cold stare with one of his own. Yet even still, her words were a warning and the trigger not pulled.

 "Perhaps I am a fool," he said calmly, nodding slightly. Fool, fool, he thought to himself as he attempted to draw his pistol and fire at a low angle as quickly as he could, hoping to hit a leg, while letting his legs go limp temporarily to drop low. If he succeeded then he'd sweep her feet from beneath. If not then he would probably get a bullet to the face.

[15:45]  Ingkeu's eyes were attentive, and she caught the flick of his wrist, his hand at the pistol. He most likely didn't even get the shot off as she squeezed the trigger and let a single round pierce through to the brain. She watched as the inside of his head, the blood, brain bits, and what not erupted into a pink mist that splattered the wall he had been nearest to and let out a long sigh as his body slumped to the ground in a lifeless mess.

 "I didn't want to have to do that." she said solemnly, quietly shaking her head. "Pix, torch it. Leave nothing behind." Ingkeu spoke to the AI as she holstered the weapon, and took a few steps away from her kill.

 The woman didn't want to kill him. In fact, she had done everything she could to have prevented it. But in the end he had left her no choice. Halfway down the hall way she turned, the look on her face cross with anger as she pointed forcefully at the lifeless frame the AI was about to torch. "You did this!!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "NOT ME."

 Ingkeu then turned around, kicked his lifeless frame, and disappeared back into the room she had exited. At least now her home was safe. She had protected herself, and the area she had chosen for living quarters, away from the rest of the crew, and close to home, the flight deck. "I really, really hate killing people." She muttered irritably to herself.

[15:51]  Seth modified the spell he was casting, instead of an orb, it be came a net.  And he held it out like a cat's cradle of yarn, snaring the man's soul as it left the body that was now being lit on fire. He  wrapped the soul up, encompassing it, before putting both his hands on it. Suddenly he was talking to the ethereal form of the other man. "Well. Got yourself into quite a mess, didn't ya?" he asked, rubbing his chin. "Girl's got some backbone, eh?" he inquired the soul, pacing around it. "I can fix it. However, nothing comes for free. You should know that. Everything has a price. The final question is, what do you think is worth another chance at life?"

[16:01]  Abhishek Vedawas not fast enough. He was fast, but he was not that fast. The last thing that went through his mind was how great a fool he was for pushing so hard. Well, technically the last thing to grow through his mind was Ingkeu's bullet, so the second to last thing was self-beration. The world flashed bright white, brighter than the flashbang had been earlier. The light started to fade and condense, much like old display screens used to do albeit at a much slower rate.

 Suddenly the fading light was halted, flared, and burst eerily. His eyesight returned, but he immediately knew something was amiss. He was unable to see his body, or feel any of his limbs, but could see quite clearly that he was directly in front of the demonic form from earlier. As the demon paced around him, Abhishek found he was unable to move, turn, or even gesture.

 "Can't say I expected that," he lied. He could not hear his own voice, but was fairly certain the demon could hear him anyway. As soon as he had attempted the action he knew he would lose--probably even before he did which made him wonder why he had been stupid enough to try it in the first place. He should have let the girl go on her way and trail her as he did before. If he had figured out where she camped or rested then he could go salvaging on his own and make his move to get her to work on his ship whenever he had all the pieces.

 That would have been the smarter thing to do.

 "What do you want from me, cousin?" he asked. He had difficulty thinking of what would serve as offering to such a creature. Abhishek's most valued possession was his ship even though it was in quite the state of disrepair.

[16:02]  Ingkeu sighed as Pix begun to torch the body outside of the room, a small pang of guilt weighing on her shoulders as she recorded his info into the ships computer logs as deceased.

 After reaching up to flick off the screens she rubbed her temple with two fingers and sighed once more. The sound of her foot falls, the heavy boots against the dirty floor could be heard scuffling back down the hallway of the room. At the end, there was an old blast door sealed compartment, the one she had been working on converting into her room.

 Currently it was still bare of her belongings, but tiredly, Ingkeu crawled up into it, eventually reaching to close the door and seal herself safely inside after Pixel had finished his tasked and joined her within.

 Together, the two curled up, Pixel eventually shutting down to conserve energy as Ingkeu stared up into the circuit lights that danced across the ceiling. She let out a rather hefty sigh, her hand reaching down to idlely stroke the AI creature, even if it wouldn't feel it. It was a gesture that was more for her comfort after all, like that of a woman curling up with her cat before bed.

 Slowly, she could feel herself fading into sleep, waking up every now and then when she heard a noise, until finally, sleep took her tangled in its web of dreams...

[16:09]  Seth smirked a bit. "Cousin. That's cute. I'd call you more of a pet dog in relation to me, but whatever suits your fancy." He dropped down out of the vent, maneuvering the orb even as an image of himself was projected inside. "She even torched your body, lest there be something that brings it back to life. Thorough." He kept walking a bit, stopping to sit down and aim the orb at the computer so that the soul trapped inside was able to see it. With a snap of his fingers, detailed, and restricted information began to flash across the screen. "What I want, is not something so petty as a ship. No, I want to rule this place. And to do that, I need her. So you cannot kill her.  Nor detrimentally harm her. A beating is one thing, shooting her is something else." He tapped Abhi on the head. "You have no idea who I am, or what I can do, huh?  Do you know your origins, mutt?"

[16:17]  Abhishek Veda grimaced at being called a pet dog, but kept his mouth shut. The demon was holding all the cards at this point. He grunted as he saw the torched remains of his body, and wondered if she had looted his stuff like she had wanted to in the first place. At least one of them could follow through with their initial plan, he thought bitterly to himself.

 "Never met many demons," he said. "They didn't want us to have contact with non-humans," he added, omitting who exactly 'they' were. It honestly did not matter anymore. "If the price for life is not killing her or severely damaging her then I accept," he said quickly. That was far less of a price than he would have expected. He had not intended to kill the girl, for her skills were far too valuable to him.

 Death had a way of making him think clearly. Perhaps it was the lack of nanites messing with his system, or the fact that bullets through the brain pan tend to give one a new perspective on life in general. He found it curious how desperately he had been clinging to the idea of needing a mechanic. It was almost as though he was acting like a man possessed.

 "I've no idea who you are, though I have seen some of what you can do. I have been a fool, but I am not such a fool that I would stand in your way."

[16:24]  Seth just smirked and patted him on the cheek. "Good boy. But that is not the only price. I will restore your life, but I need you to find me sustenance. Without it, Jericho will be back.  And that, is a step in the wrong direction for everyone. The body who I have control of for the moment, made a deal. He wanted power. He got possessed by me. The Egyptians had many names for me. Set, Seth, Setekh, Sutekh. I go by Seth these days. Easier to pronounce. My power is not infinite, but I will tell you this. I can make your life worse than it already is, should you disobey me. Let me heal you enough that you can get to med bay. But the price for all this, is loyalty. If I say jump, you say how hi. If I say go, you leave. If I say get something, you get it, until I feel that the price has been paid in full. Is that clear? Oh. And when you die again, your soul is mine to absorb.

[16:32]  Abhishek Veda thought that was a pretty shit deal in the long run. Then again, Seth had considerable power. It was a possibility Abhishek's soul could be absorbed by him even if he declined the deal, for it was obvious his soul was already ensnared. He hardly knew anything about Egyptian mythology, but the name was almost familiar.

 "A chance to live and be absorbed later, or a chance to be absorbed now," he said aloud with a sneer. "You know which I choose. Give me life before I end up as--whatever," he concluded with hesitation, not knowing exactly what would happen when his soul would be absorbed. He'd probably cease to exist entirely.

[16:41]  Seth once again patted his cheek. "There ya go. That's thinking. Now, I would suggest not trying to call someone out on a bluff when your life is on the line. Keep usin' that noggin." The projected image of him disappeared, and he walked back over to the body. He removed the burn and removed the bullet wound, though there would, no doubt, still be excruciating pain when the soul was replaced.  The projected image appeared in front of Abhi again, and grabbed him by the throat. A simply golden ring appeared around the neck. "Don't worry. That'll just bring your soul to me when you die." He placed the soul back in the body, and tapped the chest, kick-starting the heart.

[16:50]  Abhishek Veda instinctually attempted to struggle as Seth reappeared and grabbed him by the neck. He spat a curse, and no sooner than the demon spoke everything went dark. The empty void did not last very long, and soon filled with excruciating pain as though his body had been storing the nerve impulses to send to the brain from both bullet wound and fire.

 As his eyes flew opened, he let out a pain-filled growl, body curling up and rolling on his side as he attempted to get under control and assess whatever damage remained--if any truly did remain. So focused on this he did not even notice the droid that had been nearby briefly.

 Breath came back to him, lungs burning, he struggled to cough, wiping spittle from his mouth with the back of his hand.

[16:54]  Seth patted the recently dead man on the back of the head. "There there. Time for you to wake up. I'll be calling on you, should I need you. Leave the girl alone for the most part. If you run into her, fine. But don't go looking for her. " He walked off, tiredly. he needed to get some sustenance soon. "Do take better care of this life." He called the words over his shoulder as he disappeared.  If he wasn't strong enough to get to med bay on his own, then his should would be claimed soon. He takes the elevator down, and once in the lobby, collapses into a bench.

[17:00]  Abhishek Veda rested for several minutes and wiped what might have been blood from his face. He felt the surface where the bullet had penetrated and was pleased to find no wound remained even though it hurt considerably. He fumbled in one of his belt pouches--thankfully heat-resistant--and found a painkiller to pop. The pill took some ten minutes to start taking effect, and he rested, warily watching around him until the medicine began to dull the pain. It was not a miracle pill, but it made it easier for him to force himself to his feet to begin searching for the medical bay.

Wherever that was.

 Although he would heed Seth's warning not to seek the girl, he almost hoped the redhead would happen across him just to see the look on her face. She'd probably shoot him again after the shock wore off.