Spoiler (Click to Show)
She was about to give up as a ping came in from one of her scanners. “Found you.”
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Steam was at the controls of his ship coated from head to toe in ash and holes. “Okay I won’t be doing that for a while.” Steam grabbed his flask and tipped it back to find not a drop of anything but ash and lava racks was in there. He signed and left the helm to go get a drink. Steam noticed something off about where he was as he walked across the deck of his ship. It was too quiet. He looked off the port bow to see a collection of storm clouds and rough waters. He groaned. Then his head turned to the starboard to see the same gathering of clouds and waters.
“You have gotta be shitting me.” He yelled, He was in the eye of a hurricane. “I get back from my brake and this is where I show up. You know what it's fine I’ll just follow the storm until it disperses. But first a drink.” Steam walked to the hold where he grabbed a bottle of the best beer he had. He took the bottle back up to the helm and would have sat there basking in the sun if something hadn’t caught his eye. It was small, metallic, and doing a deorbit burn so asteroid was taken off the list. Steam watched as it came closer and closer until he saw it was a space fighter jet like thing. Steam watched as it did a roaring fly by of his ship then vanished into the hurricane. It reappeared moments later but this time it had it’s weapons out. Steam scrambled up and started pressing buttons on his control panel. The Balloon started to deploy but the fighter jet shot that full of holes. Then the missiles rained down from above. Steam stared at the shooting stars of death and destruction. He pushed a big white button and his ship vented creating a cloud of steam. The IR cameras that led the missiles went absolutely haywire and detonated on the cloud.
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Katrina was about to turn around for another run but then a voice boomed from the cloud.
“Parlay?” Steam said over the storm. “Timeout. Peace. Stop trying to kill me.” Katrina was confused what was going on. “Now if you want to talk peacefully then please land on the main deck and we can talk.” Katrina was weary about trusting Steam but a chance for a peaceful resolution would be good.
Katrina landed her ship on the main deck where Steam stood tapping his foot.
“Would you please explain the reasoning behind shooting up my ship?” He asked as Katrina stepped off her ship in her exo suit.
“I have no reason to explain myself.” Katrina said her black blade was already extended in case this was a trick of some sort. Steam took one look at the blade.
“Oh you have them too?” He raised his arm and a crescent black blade extended from his forearm. Katrina brought her blade up just a tad. Steam raised both arms. “I am not attacking.” He said quickly, Then his right eye turned from its normal blue to a crimson red.
“Maybe best we get to business.” Steam stated in a monotone. Steam hit his head a few times until the eye returned to blue.
“Yes I believe that would be the best course of action.” Katrina said not wanting to get involved with whatever that was about.
“Right let me see if I got this straight? You are looking for parts to fix either your ship or build a time machine?” Steam looked at Katrina for confirmation and before she answered he continued. “So you were looking for me to gain something I have?”
“Yes to be specific Bloodore.” Steam’s head turned at the word. He didn’t look all that happy at it either. Katrina raised her blade into a defensive pose.
Steam’s shell opened up revealing a black skeleton. “So you want this?” He said tapping his arm.
“Yes and I am ready to take it if necessary.” Katrina threatened. Steam sighed and walked back into his shell which shut around him.
“Right one moment.” Steam walked back up to the helm of his ship he took a look at the storm and where it was going. Then he turned the ship toward the storm. He jumped down onto the deck and his other blade extended. “I’ll make you a deal.” Steam rose and brought out a cigarette. Steam lit it and smiled as the ship began rocking beneath them. “Best me is a duel and I will give you the exact amount of the stuff you need.” Lighting struck behind Steam lighting him up in a way that just made it sound like more of a death threat. Katrina smiled behind her visor as the adrenaline began circulating. Steam made the first move; lunging at blinding speeds for her. He swung both blades at her torso. Katrina blocked them both with hers and sent a fist aiming for his firebox. Steam used his momentum to swing on her blade so the fist just sailed under him. On the way back down he brought he leg crashing into her helmet. Steam touched down and back off barely dodging a flurry of blows. Then the rain came; They had entered the storm. Winds clawed at both of them threatening to tear them from the ship. Steam used the time that Katrina adjusted to the wind the charge in close and rake his blades across her chest. Katrina felt it as the blades pierced the metal. She grabbed Steam in a bear hold and bent backward driving the automaton into the deck. She released her grip and swung her arm around in an attempt to cut Steam in half at the waist. Steam instead of pushing his way out actually dodged being chopped in two by pulling himself into the main hall of his ship. He plummeted to the floor cracking the floor boards. Katrina jumped down and elbow slammed him in the back. There was a terrible cracking sound as Steam bent under the blow. Katrina got up and stomped on Steam again and again. She eventually stopped when Steam was dented unrecognizably. She laughed.
“I thought your were going to be a challenge?” She said trying to tear apart the shell to get her reward.
“I am.” Steam said from behind her. A pistol barrel dinged against her suit. “Now let's continue.” Katrina grabbed the barrel and spun around. Nobody was holding the other end. Then with a great hissing sound the whole room filled with steam. Katrina switched to thermal but was nearly blinded by the red glare that was given off by the boiling steam. Then something raked across the floor.
“Release restraint.” Steam’s voice said
“Time limit?” Asked the monotone,
“Until she has proven she can handle what she desires.” Then Steam laughed manically his voice changing into a madman's voice.
“So he has given me a new toy has he?” This wasn’t Steam. Katrina ran to a wall and tried to see threw the thick fog. Then a Shadow moved just a twitch. Katrina lunged at it. She grabbed Steam’s skull and drove it to the floor. Steam’s smile widened. “Well this toy is good.” Steam grabbed her arm and the armour began crumpling under his grip. He forced Katrina’s arm off his head and punched her sending her flying into the opposite wall. The suit was taking more damage than it was built for. The Ship rocked dislodging Katrina and Steam appeared in front of her smiling like Bog. Steam grabbed her neck and shoved her against the wall his red eyes staring into her soul.
“Oh you aren’t even here yet but you have had so much fun.” Steam slammed her into the wall and Katrina tried to use her blade to cut off his arm but it just wasn’t working. Steam smiled and punched the visor so hard it shattered showering Katrina in glass shards. Then the ship hit a huge wave throwing both fighters against the ceiling as the ship nearly capsized. Lighting struck and waves roared.
“What are you?” Katrina asked as they both got up.
“I my little toy am the Metal Demon.” Steam bowed and Katrina took the chance and swung her blade at him. To her surprise it hit his shoulder and cut through like a knife cutting warm butter. Steam vented out of the wound but Steam didn’t seem to mind. He looked at Katrina. “You know what I think I know why Steam is restraining me from killing you here and now.” He looked at her and his went horizontal bending in ways it shouldn’t be able to. Then his Eyes went black.
“Time limit expired. Reverting.” Steam slumped over and fell to the floor. Katrina took this as an opportunity. She charged toward him bringing her blade down on his head. Steam’s arm shot up barley blocking it with the tip of his blade.
“Ouch.” He groaned. Then he looked at the situation around him, “Well hello again. I assume you have proven that you can resist the Demon?” Katrina was confused.
“What was that?”
“That was what I once was restricted to non lethal force of course can’t have you picking daisies yet.” Steam looked at her then he forced her blade back and stood up. “Well I guess it is time for me to keep up my end of the bargain?” Steam started walking then noticed his arm on the ground. He picked it up and mumbled something then signaled for Katrina to follow. Katrina didn’t know what to do. Steam turned to look at her.
“Well come on.” Katrina composed herself and followed. Steam led her through a maze of hallways and the ship rocking violently didn’t help her keep track of where they were going. Eventually they came to giant open room where three black cubes that had to be at least three yard cubes.
“How much do you need?” Steam asked turning to one of the cubes.
“Two pounds.” Steam raised his blade and chopped off a decent chunk of the cube off and after weighing it in his hand he handed it to Katrina.
“There you go two pounds of Bloodore. Now shoo I have a ship to fix.” Then the waters eased and the ship settled. “Oh I guess we are out of the storm.” Steam hurried back down the corridors and Katrina followed him back to the deck, got on her ship and left having a newfound respect for Steam.
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Steam watched Katrina blast off and laughed his head off. He had made a new friend that was from the future and she had a spaceship. Then he turned to the piece of crimson red cloth in his hand.
“Oh I don't think she will miss this pair now will she.”[/spoiler]
Spoiler (Click to Show)
This world was so untouched. So unpolluted. She almost felt like the presence of her futuristic fighter vessel was contaminating it, somehow.
But strangest of all was the abundance of literal magic in this world. There was so much of every kind of wonder she could imagine, that the question for her was no longer if she could find the materials to build something that would bring her back to her time… it was how she would manage to build it in the first place. An equally impossible question.
But strangely enough, as Captain Katrina rocketed towards the Earth, one of the target markers on her screen began to rise back up.
Back up towards the clouds.
“How curious.” She murmured, rerouting her course with a precise click of buttons. “AI, give me a readout. What’s that thing up there?”
“There is no name on file. As usual.” It replied. “However, this particular substance has an extremely high melting point. It’s not something that should be physically possible.” It ran off a string of numbers on the screen for her.
“Jesus.” Katrina grinned despite herself, reading. “This substance could squat in the pits of Hell and think it was just a bit sunny out. I could use it for all sorts of things.” She set her vessel to autopilot, pleased, sashaying back to the small cargo bay to retrieve her armor. “Get us over there, AI. I’m going in for extraction.”
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Steam lounged on the deck of his airship. He did not feel the sun shining on his metal exterior. The bottle in his hand and the cigarette in the other were no more than a weight to him--as were most things to a being like him. Existence as a machine could be cold and devoid of enjoyment.
But somehow, with each swig of booze, the steam-powered automation felt a warm glow of pleasure and content. He was living the life. “Ahhh…” He sighed.
A distant roaring sound made him open an eye. Somewhere in the distance, a small aircraft flew nearby. Steam shrugged and returned back to his relaxation… until he realized that the craft had not left a trail of exhaust behind it.
“How curious.” Steam murmured.
Sitting up to focus on the object, he noticed that the craft was not white like a passenger jet, or grey or black like a military vessel. It was dark red instead, with green markings on the wings. Now that he thought about it, the noise this engine made was definitely not that of a jet. In fact, how was it flying so quietly?
But as the craft flew a bit closer, the outline of missiles beneath the wings became unmistakable. That was alarming.
Standing now, Steam made his way to the Bridge to make his next move, and saw that someone was radioing for him on the comms.
“This is Captain Katrina aboard the fighter vessel flying in close proximity. Weapons are powered down. Requesting your courtesy and permission for landing, over.” Steam grinned as he learned the voice belonged to a female, letting the message play itself a few times before he tapped the receiver.
“Permission granted... little lady.” He smirked.
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Katrina’s fighter swooped in to the airship’s landing bay, blowing dust in all directions with its downward thrusters. She marvelled at the airship’s size, wondering how such a thing was built in an age where battleships stuck to the water rather than the air. Dozens of cannons bristled across the hull and the pirate respected them, giving their firing arcs a wide berth. Only the main batteries could harm her ship with a direct hit through sheer
