Demo: a Port of Call Destination

[justicereigns]

The planet is on the cruise course for a vacation trip, though Smoker doesn't know, or care, why. Maybe the Orange Emperor made a deal. Maybe the cruise ship people actually thought it was a good vacation spot. Smoker doesn't care. His is not to question why, his is to do or die. He should probably stay on the ship and make sure they aren't arbitrarily ambushed or attacked by pirates, or whatever other nonsense of the week. But his investigator instincts are prickling. Something interesting is down there, he can just feel it. Besides, they can always call him if things get too heavy without him.

So down he pops, Billower Bike with him, as always.

Comments

Again, I do not have icons for most of these characters, I am sorry

[mother_of_phules]

The planet was half swampy and half arid, though it wasn't an even or neat split. The swampy land was often an odd sort of jungle and swamp mix that made for poor places to set down on a bike, but the arid areas were mostly empty and hard packed. Which was why his wasn't the only bike out there. Harry had gotten the go ahead to open up his new hawg to go and bring a package to the nanobots, rather than sending someone out in a more traditional vehicle.

It had been awhile since the supply sergeant really got to open up a hawg, and the new bike still needed to be broken in. The man was on the large side, and had his arms exposed, mostly because he complained he couldn't move with sleeves on. His jumpsuit was a black that almost shone, like wonderfully soft velvet. He had shoulders on it, and his sergeant stripes were on his shoulder, along with his company insignia - a checkered red and black diamond behind a grinning skull that was wearing a jester's belled cap at a jaunty angle. He had his side arms attached to his belt, and a rather nasty bit of work in terms of fire arms in his side car. He'd left his usual partner back at base, something that would get him in trouble if the Cap ever found out. But sometimes a man just needed his bike, a wide stretch of road, and his own thoughts.

But there was one thing Chocolate Harry could never miss. The sound of another bike, any sort of other bike. With a grin, he checked that his larger weapon was secured so that no one could sweep it out of the sidecar, and then he headed for the other engine, revving his loudly in greeting.

no worries

[justicereigns]

That's okay, Smoker's bike is specifically built to handle riding ocean waves, beaches, and literally any terrain anywhere.

Although he's a little disappointed to be so far from civilization, he really needs to get better at mapping his transmat beams.

But just waves a single hand in greeting to the other. "Yo." A polite nod.

[mother_of_phules]

He revved once more then cut the engine so they could talk, the bike lowering gently to the ground. "Stranger, whoever you are, I know you're lost. How did you even get your hawg and your skinny *** out here anyway?" He scratched a hand through his short rough hair, the other hand casually resting on his thigh, near his stun ray.

Not that he wanted to use it. Half the fun of meeting another rider was trash talk, and it was hard to do that with the other guy unable to move or speak, but he wasn't getting caught out here with his throat slit neither. No sir. Harry was, contrary to popular opinion, careful when he gambled. Was why he was in the half of the company that wasn't either in hock up to their eyeballs or in deep to Rev. Harry didn't gamble unless the odds were stacked in his favor with money, he sure wasn't about to play fast and lose with his life, or worse, his hawg.

[justicereigns]

"Smoker...." Smoker gave his name easily enough, but trailed off at the rest. "Skinny?" That was a first.

"How far from the rest of... whatever, am I anyway?"

[mother_of_phules]

Compared to Harry, *** yes. Course all of Harry's bulk was muscle and bone. Just lots of it. Him and Top. "Well, old son, I'd say that depends on where ya started. And I know some people who'd be real interested in that answer, actually."

[justicereigns]

"Not from where I came," Smoker growled drily. "That, I can get back to easily enough. I mean the rest this planet. Cvilization, or whatever fascimile you call it around here."

[mother_of_phules]

"Really? Pull the other one," Harry guffawed. "Even from here I can tell that's a sweet ride, but not that sweet. I know where you didn't come from, s'why I'm asking where ya did."

[justicereigns]

"My ship." An eyeroll, and he pointed up. "I'm apparently shit at getting where I mean to though. That's why I always bring the bike."

[mother_of_phules]

"See, bow we're getting somewhere. Thing is, didn't see or hear a landing vehicle. And last I checked, aint no one called into our base or the Zenobian capital to clear a landing, so that's where I'm having a bit of a problem with this all."

[justicereigns]

"We didn't land," Smoker rolled his eyes, put the sunglasses down, and lit up a fresh pair of cigars. "Friendly Relations is a fu-- a da-- a dumbass cruise ship. The tourists are all vacationing. They always land where they're supposed to. I'd chalk it up to my science division being a bunch of pricks, but I think it's just my devil fruit shorts some circuits. At least I still land on planet, I haven't been off course as far as moons yet. That'd blow."

[mother_of_phules]

Cruise ships he got. "If you were trying for Loreili you're a week off at least." That was where cruises went, not to Zenobia. "I didn't think your whole ship landed, but the lander that brought you and the hawg down. And just you two or anyone else wandering about trying to suicide by desert?"

[justicereigns]

"A week?" Smoker mentally swore. Well, at least it wasn't the wrong ocean. And he could always try again.

"Nah, just me. I snuck out instead of trying to attend black tie dinner affairs -- Captain's table and all that crap." A sigh. "Tell me about Zenobia? I didn't see it on my desk." Which was already cluttered as heck between tour route destinations and planets NOT brought into the alliance. Yet.

[mother_of_phules]

He frowned a bit. "That might be out of my paygrade, you don't mind if I phone home, do ya?" He was going to do it anyway, it just changed if he had to be stealthy about it, or not.

[justicereigns]

"It's top secret?" so much confusion.

[mother_of_phules]

"Seeing that the only humans on the planet besides you are Space Legion here as part of treaty negotiations, yeah. Kind of is."