[Oded's Place: Habitat D1234]
Oded is pacing, again. This time Benny totally gets it.
"Your mom is so cool."
Oded nods. Every few seconds he turns to the screen wall. Benny, like always, lounges on the couch, but constantly looks at the screen. He only sometimes glances at Oded as he paces.
One commercial replaces another…
Finally, The Game begins. The announcer begins their Job, And Oded plops by Benny. Both of them are smiling ear to ear.
…
[Luna: United Sol Arbitrage Data Facility]
AIs communicate:
The Fee will be 10% of the monetary value of the foreign Objects surveyed and found in the course of the investigation. Or in the event of sapient life of extraterrestrial origin, The Right of refusal for commerce/ up to 300% compensation beyond reimbursement for any incurred expenses, Hazard pay, or current Operator's on file Life Insurance Policies at the time of contract acceptance. … Lily is talking on the radio with Walter. They are going with their Haulers on this contract. "Walter, tell me. Do you think?-" He takes a few seconds to answer, maybe thinking that she will actually elaborate, but she has no intention to. Thankfully they both have a firm grasp of what she is actually asking. "Well, Lily. No, I don't actually think it's Aliens. But I really want them to be." She takes that in. "You know what? I do too." As they speak, they accelerate at 2g. Within two weeks, after clearing the Main Asteroid Belt they will raise it to 2.5g. … [Walter's Habitat: Hauler Class- Cassandra] Walter is sipping his Coffee through a straw built into his helmet. For more than a week now, he's been living in his suit. Up to and including his head. He just prefers different gas blends at different g's, something to put a pep in his step, and it's easier to control that sort of thing in a sealed suit, than it is to do so for a whole habitat that can hold a small country- or at least enough air for Tokyo City and all its residents to breathe freely alongside him. "Besides I'm the only one here, so who cares what I do?" "Hey, I am here too!! You know." He turns to the radio. "I said it out loud? Sorry." "Yeah, Yeah, FU, dude." And both jump when the alarm dings. He looks at the screen. "Are you seeing this?" "If you mean that mildly radioactive astroid family exponentially becoming little Gamma Suns the closer we get? Yes I see it. It seems to be-" He cuts her off. "-a breaking method. Those things are converting their kinetic mass for this." "Thank fuck both of us kept our S-Gear up to date. Even five years ago, this crap would have incinerated us." She can't see him, but he still raises a brow. "You missed the second potty word." "Funny. Anyway, they gave us enough power. My system here activated the Glutton protocol. My system is filling the Antimatter tanks, their equivalent matter tanks, and so much graphene, ammonia, watter, and All the Pizza I have wanted for the last year." He decides to not respond to that. Mainly since his system did the exact same, only that his ship's energy collectors were currently causing his food processor to materialize the sheer excess energy into his favorite Protein powder blend instead of Pizza. Though… "Why did you call that process Glutton?" "Because Surplus management sounds way too sophisticated for what it actually is. Also, FU again." He takes a moment, weighing the merits of a comeback, versus addressing the issue at hand. Then he speaks again. "That is really too big to be much of anything other than an invasion fleet- Isn't it?" She doesn't answer for a few beats. "Yes. I'd say So." "I got what I wanted. Aliens." He feels himself beginning to ramble. "Do we talk to them, is this them declaring war on us?" She coughs. "It could be a misunderstanding, we are talking of a double blue shift here, They *could* just do this at this point because it is plausible to them that the Gamma would disperse by the time it gets to the solar system...and there's the fact that a higher energy output deceleration, allows them to get closer before stopping…" She doesn't sound convinced to him. He rapps a finger on a table. They transmitted the warning signal back to Earth, with a caveat. While it was still possible this was natural. Neither believe that. "OK. Next We… Send some message to them.-" He is cut by Cassandra shaking. Something hit his Cassandra. "Lily-" This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Don't worry, I'll cove-" He doesn't hear the rest. It cuts there. "Li-" The heat was the last thing he felt. … [Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Void Field] Odelia dances on void. That's always how this has felt to her, dancing. Two of the other guys, she can't bother to remember their team, try to throw the ball back and forth as they advance across the arena. So she knows where they are headed. "Garion, toss me." He extends to her reflexively, and she grabs him; as he pulls her to him, she *collapses* her hook, to be all the faster; his hook almost explodes as she breaks free with enough garnered momentum from the pull to sling shot past him; she's catapulted to her target like a falling cat, she twisting, and turning, even as she ensures that her hooks are never *too* extended; And.. One of her hooks to slaps away the little twerp between herself and the ball, and another to catches the exposed ball mid interrupted pass. "Gaya, get near me, reverse me!" Gaya grabs the Chump nearest to her and flings him into his teammates, using him as make shift Jet exhaust. Then She grabs another, tosses, and he flies Out of wall grappling distance- floating helplessly until he can drift into range of a wall or person. Then, her path now clear, she gets to and hooks her captain, anchors to a wall, and redirects her home. … [Oded's Place: Habitat D1234] "GO MOM!!!" Oded jumps in the air as gets home a goal. 10 points. As the ball is once more tossed out, he goes to get a pizza. Benny helps himself to a slice as well. Both are flushed as they gobble and watch the game. … [Low Earth Orbit: Susan and Arthur's Place] Susan sits by Arthur. Both are excited. "I know, I said this a million times, but look how our little girl grew up." He rubs her shoulder. As she speaks. Then answers her. "Yeah, Duddy died.-" he smiles, flushes, and turns away. "-I still can't say it, the man's been dead for twenty years, and I-. Anyway our little girl took her tragedy, and used it as inspiration for a game that would teach people how you act in a space walk. She's a hero who saved so many." Susan now kisses his neck and pats him after. After a moment he finishes. "Our little girl is a hero." Susan gets up and goes to the kitchen. "My usual Coffee please." As she gets to the counter, it is there, steaming. That blend of cinnamon, cardamom and honey. All her worries go away. For now. She feels Arthurs hands around her. And leans back on him. She places the cup down on the counter. And turns in her husband's arms. His kisses are better than any coffee any day, anyway. They miss the rest of their daughter's game. … [Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Void Field] Odelia uses the ball as bait, and the swarm falls for it. Three of her hooks grab some of the fish, and as she tosses them, the Jet exhaust. She and her ball fly to their hanger unopposed, and then she tosses it, slowing down afterwards, little more than exhaust for it, as it flies to the target. And then their captain has the gall to grab it and toss it back. She almost got it. But Almost gets you jack. And they get 2 points. She fumes for the next five minutes. … [Oded's Place: Habitat D1234] Oded is slack jawed. That never happens. Benny grabs him by the back of his neck. "Don't worry, buddy, they got lucky." Oded nods back. They rest their foreheads together. "Thanks, I really needed to hear that." Benny squeezes his neck a bit for a second. "Don't worry. Any time." Oded leans back, takes a breath. And both turn back. There's no need to add anything. … [Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Void Field] "Hey, Seph!" "Yeah, Gaia?" "Gonna send you Leverage." Seph looks at Gaia, on the other side of the game space, she tossed at her an enemy player. If she was new, she'd have cussed her out. She has the ball after all. But she isn't new, and she prepares three hooks, and as the little sucker gets to her, she grabs all three of the hooks they try to prepare for her, and hugs them goodbye. As the little sucker spins confused, his position incurred but for the quicker timing of her pull, she flies home. 10 points. … [Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Stands] Zeak is tossing his little Starwind. "Daddy, We're in public, and I'm old!" He hugs her at that. "I'm your dad, I will stop when you tell me you want me to stop, or I literally can't do it anymore." She pauses for a moment in her dads hug. "Ok, more." He grins and tosses her some more. And then the game continues. Next to them in the viewing hall, Mirana, the Wife and mother in this picture, sighs. Her world is perfect. … [Oded's Place: Habitat D1234] Oded takes a break to go to the bathroom. Benny is alone in the room now. For a few seconds he looks after his friend. Then he looks up, the standard sign of communication systems/ asking the home computer for something. "Hey, Please get me more pizza, and some beer." A flash in the lighting was the confirmation he needed. Two minutes later a server-bot brings him his order. By the time Oded comes back, just one of the beers remained for him. He looks up. "Refresh that, please." … [Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Void Field] Jake is honestly just having fun, sowing chaos. Garion is actually trying to keep the ball away from the other guys. In the end, they both have fun. "Jake, get off your pillow ass and toss me back!" And that is Sheph. Cute girl. High strung. Just a bit. Jake orients toward her and grabs one of the girls from the other team, using her as exhaust to get the right momentum to get to Sheph. He can see the girl's lips mouthing some curses at him as she flies away from him, and he himself flies to intercept Seph. … [Oded's Place: Habitat D1234] Oded and Benny don't speak. Just chew. Seph just needs this, and she'll get another goal. Jake just needs to get there. … [Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Void Field] Jake grabs Seph and tosses her, and that ball she is holding, and… as He flies back from the force of the toss he decides to give some more assistance, preparing to grapple any pursuers in order to make sure that no one tries to get in her way home. 10 points. He hears Captain Odelia. "Good work Jake, good result, and good effort." He just might get that whole actually-trying-to-win thing. … [Oded's Place: Habitat D1234] "Go Jake!! That's him, right, the lanky, hot in a speedo dude?" Benny makes sure. "Yes. He is." Oded replies. A small smirk on his face. Benny narrows his eyes, grabs a pillow and mildly taps him with it. Even if he wants to really hit him with it. Really, reeaally, wants to. Oded smirks and hugs him for a second. "Thank you for being here." Benny now smirks himself. "Of course." … [Heart of the Solar System: Solar Processor Station Medusa: Information Manager Nathan Harrow Personal Quarters] Natty made sure to have all of the major snack groups. He sat down, the game's message was just about to get here. Unlike all of those untethered spacers, he doesn't take pale copies of the real thing. So while his coworkers are trying to see that stupid space ball whatever, he will watch the Spain-Argentina match. Real Football. On the ground, with real gravity, not this stupid spin crap. As he is about to watch the transmission, he gets a call. "Nathan Harrow?" "Yeah, I'm off the clock, you know." "Yes… I'm Igor Karington, I'm calling from United Sol Arbitrage habitat." "Yes, I figured I would not be getting a real time call from earth." They pause, just for a moment, and he gets nervous. "The Hauler Habitat: Nicholas FL, has taken a contract. It, and another, will take a survey of the Anomaly your facility found earlier." "Good for Lily. You called me, so, by the time she leaves, Any message from sent from me is now already too late, right?" He's really happy for his sister. He will love to tell her all she missed when she gets back. He almost misses their answer. "Well, yes. I assumed you would be more angry about it. We really should have sent a notice prior to the window's deadline, it's just that-" He rolled his eyes. "Dude I did it too. I was a surveyor at the Ort cloud until ten personal years ago. I get it." "Well. Here's hoping the rest of my calls are that easy." "Don't mention it. Hey, you like real Football?" "I like socker well enough, though I prefer American football." Natty tilts his head in thought. "Sorry about that crack then, if when you finish your work day, you're still in real time distance, wanna come over to watch some American Football games? I have all the superbowls of the last twenty years. Besides the one that's happening now, of course. All though.." He tried to imply he will have it almost as soon as it's over. Igor stammers a bit, and then. "-well, I think I would love that, thanks." "You're welcome. Honestly, I was sitting here, feeling homesick and-" He thinks that he can practically feel the other man's smile over the line. "Yeah. I'll be there, probably in your standard Evening." "I'll be ready." Yeah. He was smiling. After the Call Natty goes to actually watch his game. … [Void Wars Mobile Arena: The Void Field] Garion is looking. Looking for the ball. Looking for the Junkies to throw of course. And anyone he can assist from his team. He sees his captain, Like a ballerina in the sky, in endless night, her grace immaculate. He wished he could be at that level. But He's good enough for her to allow him to be here. Which honestly- Some Junkie is trying to ram her and dealing with that is beneath her. As he flies at them, he thinks… Ok, if she'd heard that, I would've been off the team… probably.