Deep Space (HotCider & KattDclaw)

[HotCider]

The mess hall was busy with freshly-awakened soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen. They were recruits from the Earth Defense Alliance (EDA), the best selected from units around the globe. Even with the best being gathered in one place, there were still those whose distinction showed brighter than the rest.

“Woah, check out that piece of ass,” said a soldier over his burger. He parted his maw to sink his teeth into a sawdust-tasting burger, which was made better with the ketchup he had coated it in.

The female soldier that was seated across from him turned a pair of green eyes over her shoulder to regard the red-head and twisted her lips in a smug and unimpressed smirk.

“Hardly a piece of ass,” she commented.

“She’s the best shot on this ship,” came one of the pilots. “I say best because she’s forced to conform to the EDA’s lousy point system. Anyone can shoot max, but I hear she can shoot the wings off a fly.”

The green eyed and green haired soldier rolled her eyes. “You don’t mean that girl? She only shoots well because of those cybernetic eyes they gave her when she signed up for this shitty recon mission.”

“She’s been a deadshot well before they gave her new eyes. In fact, I believe that’s why they gave her a new pair.”

“You seem to know a lot about people nerd,” the male soldier grumbled. “What about that guy behind her? If that’s who I think it is, didn’t he have his arm ripped off by the mutants in Africa?”

“Oracle probably replaced that for him too,” said the female soldier.

“Actually, yes,” said the pilot. “And I tend to study my competition. If you had watched the leaderboard when everyone in the EDA was competing for the slots in this mission, you would have had a good idea of who most of the people here are like I do. Oracle gave him a new arm, and when it came to the physical portion of the competition, his scores were inhuman.”

“Shit, let me go rip my leg off so Oracle can give me a new one, and then I can be worshipped by nerds like you,” the female soldier scoffed.

The pilot frowned. “They’re just parts. Cybernetic eyes won’t help a person shoot better. Marksmanship still requires skill. A cybernetic arm may make you stronger, but the rest of your body has to be able to keep up with it and endure the strain. That’s the only reason why I find those two interesting.”

“Whatever. That guy’s a hothead, and they just made him into a serial killer waiting to be set free by the next person who pisses him off.”

“I’ll put a bullet in his head before he tries to kill me.”

Victor faced the mess hall, his grey eyes darted between people who not only were giving him dirty looks but seemed to be talking about him. He mentally noted to keep clear of them and surveyed the tables for an open spot to sit. There was one spot before a red-head who was quite the sight for sore eyes. She wasn’t like the rather butch women he was used to seeing, and smirked to himself as he suspected her to be either Navy or Air Force. Everyone knew that it was a myth for good-looking women to be in any other branch.

The Marine set down his tray full of burgers—the only thing that had looked edible and familiar—before he stepped over the bench and took a seat. Keeping his eyes downcast upon his food, they strayed discreetly every once in a while to take notice of the glow the girl’s eyes gently emitted and then her chest and the rest of her upper half. For being either Navy or Air Force, she had some pretty strong arms.

Does she lift? he wondered. He then figured that it had to take more than book smarts for any of the personnel to have made it on this ship.

Picking up one of the burgers, he brought it to his mouth and took a bite, and hadn’t really gone farther than that. With full cheeks of bread, cheese, and meat, the bland, grainy flavor was enough to cause the muscles of his face to contract into a disgusted frown before he then peeled back the bun to check if anyone had shat all over his burger patty. Setting the burger back down, Victor glared down at his tray as though he could vaporize the food with his steely eyes, his meal growing soggy in his mouth. What the fuck kind of dog food were they serving here?

 

[KattDclaw]

It was with a sickening sense of deja vu that Katherine ‘Kat’ Reed found herself in the mess hall after thawing from the big sleep. She felt like she had done this before, several times really. The sensation of waking up, retching that foul clear fluid in full body heaves and then walking about sticky and wet was a vivid, visceral sensation. It was kind of like a waking dream, she had expected to stroll right into the mess hall naked and staring down her high school rivals. But it wasn’t a dream, once the hot water hit Kat square in the face she felt herself really and truly wake up. Maybe it was from the heat on her otherwise cold body, or maybe it was the way the water danced across her digitized vision.

That had been something hard to get use to, being as the cybernetic eyeballs were still relatively new. Her vision was as sharp as ever, if not more so now that she had the ability to zoom, lock onto targets and no doubt other things she hadn’t had a chance to fiddle around with. There was a manual about it stuffed into her belongings, but Kat wasn’t really one to read the instructions. She’d learn as she went, after all she had a natural aptitude to pick up things on the fly. It was one of her best assets, that and being able to shoot the nuts off a squirrel.

Kat let the shower linger far too long, savoring the heated water running rivets down her toned, athletic frame. She was built from hard work that much was evident from the strong musculature of her arms and legs. That strength didn’t detract from her otherwise feminine qualities, far from it. She had a sinfully shaped figure, full hips and a rather stunning rack that begged to be motorboated. She was finished off with an attractive, sharp visage with a straight nose, pointed chin and full cheeks. Her hair was a bright and vivid red, the streaks of black giving it a curious chaotic touch.

She eventually found her way to the mess hall with all the other recruits. They were from all over, it was like some big convention of every sort of race and creed imaginable. Usually that type of thing was to try and obtain some manner of ‘peace’, or at least sign some kind of treaty. But the people here weren’t the kind that vied for peace. They were trained killers, just like her. The idea was a little comforting, oddly enough. Kat rarely got along with people in general, the more so the more ‘normal’ they were. Civilians were mostly a mystery to her, something to be annoyed with at best. Her own kind, the ones in the trenches at least held some manner of respect. Still, she didn’t want to hang out with them, huddled in a group for protection. Her career path came naturally to her, part of a group but still solitary. It worked out for her, usually.

So there she sat at a randomly determined bench, her stunning figure decked out in the typical attire of baggy black camo pants and a matching tanktop that clung greedily to her ample breasts. She wore a rather disgusted, annoyed look on her face, those crimson orbs lingered upon the plate of mush before her. It was partially mangled with a plastic knife and fork until it was unrecognizable as any kind of food. Then again, most of the food could already be described as indecipherable. She gave it a few more pokes before finally deciding to give up, with a disgusted snort she shoved the plate away.

It was about that time that someone had the balls to sit in front of her. At least that was how Kat saw it, so far no one had wanted to make eye contact with her. Maybe it has something to do with that glowing set of red eyes that stared back at them. They were cybernetic, but with a causal glance they appeared normal enough except for the color and the tendency to emit a crimson glow. The look on Kat’s face expressed her distaste and general annoyance rather aptly, one couldn’t confuse that look for anything else. The attitude was partially due to state of the food, but more so the fact she was having a serious craving for nicotine. Her fingers twitched on her right hand and slid from the table and disappeared underneath. She groped blindly for one of her numerous pockets while her crimson gaze settled on the man across the table.

He was brutally handsome, as the song went, but didn’t seem all that bright. Of course, Kat thought most people were mentally disabled, so that wasn’t much of anything really. Still, he was easy on the new eyes, so Kat couldn’t complain there. At least until he started to eat, the way he screwed up his face, well, that deserved a laugh if she ever saw one. And that was just what she did, let out a great guffaw that shook her proud shoulders. Her lips twisted, drifting into a rather easy smirk that settled perfectly on that angular face.

“You look like you just bit into a nice steaming pile of shit,” She said callously, her hand still fiddling around out of sight, she even shifted a bit in her seat as her search continued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the number two ingredient, next to saw dust and four week old cat meat.”

Her eyes did dance with their own inner radiance, which played off her cheeks as she spoke. Her voice was husky and rough, grating in its overall cockiness. After all, despite her looks, Kat was far from perfect. It was hard to tell which was worse, the shit on the plate or the crap spewing forth from her mouth.

“But you look the type that can handle their shit. Or is use to shoveling it…not really sure yet,” She added in at the last moment, before her brows arched and she gave a little surprised laugh. Only then did she fish out her crumbled back of smokes, the label read ‘Huff and Puff’. She gave it a few taps, slid one out and clamped the butt between her lips. All she needed now was a light.

 

[HotCider]

You look like you just bit into a nice steaming pile of shit.

Victor looked up at the red-head, and he had to admit that taking in the cherry bomb directly was way more pleasant than peeking at her from his peripherals.

I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the number two ingredient, next to saw dust and four week old cat meat.

He wrinkled his nose a little and tried to talk passed the gunk. As soon as he parted his lips, the brown sludge slipped down his chin as though diarrhea had just tumbled out and near plopped in his lap. Quickly closing his mouth, he turned his head to the side and spat the space filth on the floor. Grabbing one of the buns, he used it to wipe the scat from his chin and lips before returning it to his plate.

Sighing hopelessly, Victor complained, “I wish I had a nice cold beer to wash that taste out.”

He then noticed her hand shifting around under the table as she watched him with her strange eyes. For a moment, his brows slightly lifted as he wondered, and didn’t exactly know why he wondered this but now days people were weird: Is she touching herself?

But you look the type that can handle their shit. Or is use to shoveling it…not really sure yet…

When she removed the wrinkly pack of smokes, his awkward suspicion immediately dropped.

Well that was predictable…I guess…, he thought to himself.

“What the hell is this?” exclaimed an authoritative voice over his shoulder.

Victor glanced over his shoulder to see a black man with a bit of grey tinging the sideburns that stretched down either side of his jaw. He was glaring down at the splattered burger on the floor before his eyes snapped to Victor, burning with accusation.

“Were you raised in a barn, son?” the man asked.

Victor narrowed his eyes a little irritably. How did that fucker suspect him versus everyone else sitting around the mess? Arching a brow, the marine responded matter-of-fact-ly, “Uh…no.”

“You got balls, son? Then stand the fuck up when I’m talkin’ to you!”

Victor scowled as he thought to himself, This son of a bitch better be somebody important.

When the marine stood, he made sure that he didn’t slouch, standing some inches above the man who had some guts to get in his face. His hands balled into fists that looked ready to lay down some ugly, and the man took notice as he stepped right up to Victor and looked him dead in his grey eyes. With his face scrunched up like a pissed off bull dog, the man said: “Do you know who I am, son? I am Captain Dante Regis, and this is my ship. Give me a reason to throw your ass off.”

The anger that had built up so hotly in his fists immediately extinguished as Victor gradually stood down. He didn’t take kindly to being talked to like a bitch, but he knew he had to make an exception with the captain. Overlaying his hands behind his back, Victor stood fast while the captain chewed him out.

“What’s your name?”

“Staff Sergeant Victor Calloway, Sir.”

“Ah yes, I know you, Marine - Jarhead. You’re that Ghost guy. The ‘hot head.’ Well, your name isn’t Calloway anymore. Your name is Maria…Mareee~a,” the captain emphasized with a Hispanic accent. “And you’re gonna clean this floor. We got bots to do it, but you’re gonna do it the old-fashioned way. You’re gonna get a soap bucket, get down there on your hands and knees with a brush, and you’re gonna clean up that shit you spat on the floor.”

“Aye, Sir.”

The captain then glanced passed him at the female with the cigarette clutched between her lips. He pointed a sharp finger at her and yelled, “No smokin’! This ship is a no smoking zone. If you ain’t gone cold turkey since you been in sleep and brought your habits with ya, then I’m sorry. This ship’s oxygen supply will not be tainted. You know what…actually…what’s your name? You’re gonna join Maria here. In fact, you two can clean this whole damn floor, and you better clean it better than them bots or I’m gonna make you do it again!”

Victor closed his eyes in regret. This wasn’t how he was supposed to meet someone. He had to go and draw attention to get them both in trouble.

The captain marched away from the two disgraces. “Why these two are cleanin’ the mess hall, the rest of you will meet in the briefing room at 1300. If you haven’t set your watches yet, don’t worry. I’m sure you can find the time displayed throughout this entire ship. After the brief, we’re gonna break out the reserves. That’s right, we don’t just serve crappy burgers on this ship. We got something special for the Christmas holiday. But enjoy your lunch and carry on.”

Victor dropped his hands and growled softly under his breath. He couldn’t believe what just happened.

“Mareee~a” one sailor teased, and quickly hid his face from the marine’s fierce glare.

Without further delay, Victor turned from the table and went to go on a scavenger hunt for a mop bucket, cleaner, and brushes.

 

[KattDclaw]

Kat watched as nothing less that a runny pile of shit dribbled out of the man's mouth opposite of her. It was disgusting to say the least, unrefined and borderline childish in every way. Most people might be offended, at the very least offer a wince at the sight of the brown goo running past his lips. But Kat wasn't most people, Kat quirked up her face and let out a great big guffaw. It was a resounding bark of laughter, one that shook her proud shoulders and lit up her pretty face with a wide grin.

“What a fuckin' shit talker.” She said wryly, the cigarette dangling between her lips jostling with each word she said. Her fiery gaze leveled on Vic as he muttered his contempt and lamented over frosty alcoholic beverages. Her lips gave another twitch before she rolled her shoulders in a gentle, non-committal shrug and stuffed her hand back under the table once more.

“What yah gonna do?” Kat said without much effort put into it. It was the kind of statement one made when they really had nothing to say, but were being nice enough to spout off something to fill the silence. She was mildly focused on finding her lighter by the time the action started. Her hand was still in her pocket when Captain Dante Regis stormed up and found Victor's mess splattered all over the floor. Kat coolly took in the heated short-lived argument, sizing both of the men up with her enhanced vision. She noted the tension in their jaws and neck, the glint in their hard eyes and the way both carried themselves. It was like watching two rams butting heads repeatedly. Eventually, one would yield, usually after a couple hard whacks to the head. Kat couldn't help but picture it as Victor swelled up before the shorter man, the tension cording in the thick muscles of his arms undeniably. The guy looked like he could take someone's head in his hand and pop it like a balloon. She couldn't deny seeing that would be mildly entertaining for a few minutes at least.

But things quickly went down hill from there. The man spat out his rank and people went rigid. That fire died down quickly enough in Vic's gaze. Hey, at least he wasn't a complete idiot. He stood down as well as he could, but there was no denying the subtle twitch on his facial features as he took the verbal insults. Nice tidbit to know, rank and name. Kat filed it in the back of her mind though didn't really give it much thought. She was enjoying the show as Vic the Jarhead got chewed out and spit out just like that puddle of diarrhea on the floor. It was all fun and games, even a chuckle or two until those dark eyes fell upon Kat. How the fuck did she get caught up in this all? There was a look of clear shock on her features as the Captain snapped an accusing finger at her and bellowed. She was on her feet quick enough, the cigarette still dangling from her lips, mostly forgotten for the moment. It was her turn to get scolded, something she didn't like very much.

“Staff Sergeant Katherine Reed, Sir.” She barked back, the cigarette taking another vigor jostle in the process. Finally she reached up, snatched it from her lips and stuffed it behind her back. She took the verbal tirade on the chin, at least she didn't get a new nickname out of it. Still, once the Captain was done and storming off once against, a rather vicious look overtook that pretty face. She wore a glare that was focused entirely on Victor. What a way to make a first impression, right? He didn't bother her a glance though, already the brute was making off for cleaning supplies. There wasn't much she could do but grin and bear it, so with a huff she stuffed her cigarettes back into her pocket and tore off around the table heading straight after Vic.

“So I guess that makes me Tony,” She commented dryly as she easily caught up with him. Her hands slid into her pockets as she slowed her pace to a causal stroll.

“Great fuck up back there too. Shit like that pretty common with you? Seems like it. I'll have to remember to thank you properly for puttin' me on that bastard's bad side.” Her tone was low and even, though it dripped with condemnation and a splash of sarcasm.

 

[HotCider]

Katherine Reed; he had actually been relieved to hear that she was a NCO. If she had been any lower rank, then he might have had to cut her off. No hard feelings but the military could be a bitch sometimes. Victor watched the red-head walk up beside him spitting her venom at him for getting her in trouble. Honestly, if she hadn't been smoking, then the captain wouldn't have targeted her at all...still, he drew attention whether she was inevitably to be chewed out along with him or not.

Great fuck up back there too. Shit like that pretty common with you? Seems like it. I'll have to remember to thank you properly for puttin' me on that bastard's bad side.

Victor glanced over at Kat with an irritable frown and sarcastic grin.

"Yeah? Just don't bite my dick off while you're thanking me then," he quipped. "If you're gonna bitch my ear off, then I'll clean the floor my damn self."

The marine found what he felt to be the closet. He honestly hadn't had any idea where anything was on the ship. Shit, wasn't he born some hours ago? The door was metallic and rectangular without label.

Running his fingers over the door, Victor growled, "I feel like a private again. It sounded simple, but it never seems to turn out that way."

He then looked at Kat questionably, "Do you know what storage closets on this ship looks like?"

 

[KattDclaw]

Kat scoffed at the frowny face Victor flashed in her directions. His vulgar words were met with nothing short of a loud and disdainful “Pfft!” It was dismissive and ignorant, the kind of noise that could easily grate on someone’s senses.

“You’ll be on yer knees slobbin’ my proverbial knob before that happens. Remember to work the ball sac too, maybe a pinkie in the rear too.” Kat shot back easily, even wriggling her pinkie finger on her left hand for dramatic effect. If she seemed truly annoyed by Victor’s words or the outcome of the little inicident, well, it was hard to tell. Truth of the matter she rather enjoyed the quick and nasty comeback he shoot at her. Hey, most people just got angry, fumbled and said ‘Yeah? Well…fuck you, ass hole!” Nothing witty or degrading, absolutely nothing to work with! Victor, well, she would work with that. As long as it wasn’t just a one shot fluke. Only time would tell on that.

She kept pace with the big man, her knowing, annoying smirk lingering upon her lips. Despite the situation she seemed relatively upbeat, even with knowing how sore she would be after being hunched over scrubbing away for hours on end. Her hands clasped down onto her hips before they slid into her back pockets. Her crimson gaze flicked to the door they stood before, her enhanced vision taking it in easily. She rolled her shoulders in another easy shrug at his question.

“No clue. I’d assume it would be the one that said storage. Maybe broom closet? Do they even have fuckin’ brooms on this ship? I thought the bots did it all.” She was as clueless and lost as Victor. Though she paused and gave a slow, purposeful glance about over her shoulder.

“Maybe they keep somethin’ in that torture chamber they call a kitchen?” She finally said, giving Victor another glance.

 

[HotCider]

She had a good point. The captain had mentioned that bots clean the ship, so if bots cleaned the ship then what had led him to believe that there were any cleaning supplies? What if they were on a wild goose chase for no reason?

…Maybe they keep somethin’ in that torture chamber they call a kitchen?

Finally, the sergeant’s mouth proved to be useful. The idea of entering the kitchen made him curious to see how the kitchen staff prepared their horrible meals.

“Maybe,” Victor replied.

The marine turned and started back for the mess hall. The cafeteria was dark when they returned to it. The crew was gathered before a holoscreen and a strange woman in a nice, pressed suit was briefing them about a stranded ship. Victor watched the brief as he crossed the cafeteria until he reached the back doors. With a hiss, they slid open to reveal the brightly-lit back kitchen where several of the food service personnel were packing and insta-freezing the shit they had eaten. Glancing over his shoulder to see if Kat’s small ass was still there, he quietly stepped through the next doorway as though not trying to bring attention to himself into a second area of the kitchen.

In the back, there were bots in the shape of dishes rolling around the floor, vacuuming, wetting, drying, and buffing the floor in an instant as it rolled by. Victor quickly dropped to a knee to secretly snatch up the bot as its rollers continued to spin and its scanning light continued to shine. Inspecting the bot, he grumbled, “Fuck the mop bucket. We got one here.”

There was then a musical clatter. There was only one object in the world that could make a sound as musical as the one he heard. His eyes widened a little with recognition and his attention turned to the personnel unloading a freezer. They removed crates of what appeared to be burger patties—hopefully, actual burger patties—steaks, and two of the ones slacking off were guzzling down brown bottles of beer.

“Those bastards were holding out on us!” Victor growled. His grey eyes were locked onto the bottles they guzzled, watching how they shined with wet condensation beneath the light. It made his mouth feel even drier the longer he watched. He wanted a beer!

 

[KattDclaw]

Victor grunted out a very non-committal answer and started back towards the kitchen. Kat offered a light roll of her shoulders and a sigh before she took off after him at a leisurely pace. The whole thing felt like one big goose chase, after all that made the most sense. How better to humiliate the two more than sending them off to find a non-existent broom? The Captain seemed the type, not that Kat really could blame him. So she followed Maria without much choice, into the brightly lit kitchen where the staff was packing away what was left of their meal. The sight was enough to give her a nauseous tingle in her stomach, just how long had their food sat there packed and frozen waiting for them? The count was probably in the double digits year-wise, that much she was sure of.

There wasn’t much time to linger on the thought, thankfully enough Victor was intent on his given mission. He proved himself to be no fool, Kat had to admit that much when he pried up one of the cleaning bots. Her hands settled on her hips and she gave a reluctant nod coupled with an accepting frown.

“Not a bad call Maria. Hopefully he doesn’t want us to show our work afterwards,” She added on as her smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. Playing Devil’s advocate was just her thing, after all. But the curious clink of something glass caught their attention shortly enough. In a comical way they both turned their attention towards the sound at the same time. Those cybernetic eyes focused on the scene, taking in the workers packing away what appeared to be actual food and…booze?

“Sonnofa…” Kat grumbled at the undeniable sight of those brown bottles. It wasn’t as if she was desperate for a drink or anything, but a few brewskis could really help pass the time. She gave a disapproving little cluck of her tongue, followed by a scoff before she strode closer to Victor and patted his chest with the back of her right hand.

“Watch this,” Kat said confidently. She flashed that sinister grin as well as a glance before she strode off towards the workers. There was an undeniable sway to her hips, despite her military attire she had a stunning little figure going on. The bright light caught on those equally bright red locks, making the black highlights stand out all the more. She called out to the workers chugging their booze, her tone easygoing and friendly. Her words were garbled by the distance, though from her body language it was easy to set Kat was laying it on thick. There was that tilt of her head, a sultry little nibble to her bottom lip. She gestured towards Victor briefly, indicating he was a part of it. Despite the dubious looks they gave to him, at least one of the workers offered Kat a brown bottle and said something that made her laugh. It was a harsh guffaw of laughter, without waiting Kat snatched up the bottle and gave the guy a wink. She wore a shit eating grin as she returned, waggling the bottle by its neck before causally tossing it at the bulky marine.

“Drink up! There’s more where that came from. They got a stash in the back, the fuckers. Wanna stock up?” Kat flashed that dangerous smile, brimming with confidence and control. The worker was still watching Kat move, his eyes locked on her little ass with clearly written promises of tagging it etched upon his lowbrow face.

 

[HotCider]

Leave it to the hotheaded marine to always want to meet a confrontation head on. His fists were clenched and if Kat hadn't stepped up, well...he felt it would have at least ended with them having a beer. He watched the kitten saunter over to the workers and arched a suspicious brow upon noticing the change in her walk. Her hips swung to a seductive rhythm that had even Victor biting back a grin. She. Was. Bad. And yet her little act worked like a charm. The marine chuckled at her when she returned and snatched the bottle out of the air. There was no way that he was going to let it smash on the ground.

Drink up! There's more where that came from. They got a stash in the back, the fuckers. Wanna stock up?

The grin that parted Victor's lips matched her own as he replied just as mischievously, "Oh fuck yeah."

The workers shouldn't have allowed Victor to go back there for the beauty of having a cybernetic arm was displayed when the marine walked out of the refrigerator unit with a massive keg on his shoulder that normally required a dolly to transport. The workers' mouths were hanging open in awe as they watched him also leave with one six pack tucked under his free arm and a second clutched in his hand. Cleaning the mess hall had just gotten a little more interesting.

When the brief was over and the mess hall was empty, Victor had set the relocated floor bots to work and went straight to drinking. After a certain quantity of drinks--he couldn't remember how many--and some gulps from the keg, the marine was lying on the clean floor next to the keg with his arms crossed behind his head and one leg arched to his comfort. He was hammered and happy and just to bust the captain's balls, he thought about showing up to the Christmas party later to get in on the real food.

"Ah shit..." he sighed with a silly, inebriated smile.

A floor bot ran into his arm and began ramming it in its persistence to clean the floor. Grasping the bot's cap, he twisted it around to send it scrubbing in another direction and muttered under his breath, "I swear the little fucker was humpin' me."

"You are brilliant," Victor complimented Kat. "Have you been assigned a partner yet? I hope it's me~," he said on a sing-song voice. He was blasted, the futuristic slang for being just above the level of shitfaced.